Construction of Green Buildings in Kuwait - Managing Associated Risks

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CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES4

LIST OF FIGURES5

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION6

1.1Background of the Research6

1.2Justification of the Research9

1.3Objectives of the Research11

1.4Research Questions12

1.5Ethical Considerations12

1.6Limitations of the Study13

1.7Outline of the Study13

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW15

2.1The Construction Industry- Kuwait15

2.11Building Construction in Kuwait16

2.12Use of Energy in Kuwaiti Buildings19

2.2What is a Green Building?21

2.21Elements of Green Building22

2.211Sustainable Site23

2.212Energy Efficiency24

2.213Water Efficiency25

2.214Material Efficiency26

2.215Occupant's Health and Safety26

2.216Building Operation and Maintenance26

2.3Sustainable Construction of Green Buildings27

2.31Sustainability Issues29

2.4The Green Buildings Market in the GCC including Kuwait31

2.5Drivers to Implement Green Buildings33

2.6Role of Government and Opportunities36

2.61Implementation of New Government Policies Across the GCC Region37

2.7Perception of Stakeholders41

2.8Level of Awareness for Sustainable Development42

2.9Challenges of Designing a Sustainable Building44

2.10Building Simulation as an Assisting Tool in Designing Energy-Efficient Building46

2.11Appropriate Method for Constructing Green Buildings in Kuwait49

2.111Developing a Vision for the Building Project49

2.112Creating a Strong Project Team50

2.113Outlining the Main Steps to take the Project Forward51

2.114Decision-Making Process53

2.115Realizing Green Design within the Government's Established Design Process53

2.12Implications for Transformation to Green Buildings54

2.121Economic Implications54

2.122Social Implications55

2.123Environmental Sustainability56

2.13SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW56

REFERENCES78

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Number of buildings as of June 2009 and utilisation as per Governorate16

Table 2: Consumer per Capita (kWh) per Person19

Table 3: Sector-wise energy usage(%) in Kuwait20

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Map of Kuwait8

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Research

The construction industry and buildings have a significant positive impact in meeting the needs of society. It not only aims to enhance the economic and health benefits, but also improves the way of living. Consequently, the construction industry and its activities have also a significant health and environmental impact (U.S EPA, 2009, pp. 1; Pries &Janszen, 2006, pp.43-51; NBT, 2011, pp. n.d). Moreover, the construction process produces the most waste, creates the most pollution, and creates the most CO2 emissions by using the most non-energy related resources (NBT, 2011, pp. n.d). According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 2009, pp.2) buildings in US accounted for:

38.9 per cent of the total energy consumption in 2005.

72 per cent of total electricity consumption in 2006.

38.9 per cent of the total CO2 emissions across the US.

Therefore, the construction industry and buildings are considered as the most important cause of high energy consumption, depletion of natural resources, highest CO2 emissions, air pollution and waste generation (Ding, 2008, pp. 451-464). Environmental concerns such as: global warming, ozone layer depletion, solid waste, air and water pollution, and natural resource depletion, are of great importance to continue living in this world. In Kuwait, there has been a recent growing concern among researchers and professionals of the environmental impacts, in the arena of construction industry, resulting from construction happenings (AlSanad, et. al. 2011, pp. 2197). As the significant environmental impacts related to construction activities and buildings are already known, further consideration must be provided to create effective strategies for the creation of eco-friendly building designs. Wang and colleagues (2005) defines green building as a designing approach that considers the use of resources and their reduction, as well as, considers the issue of waste disposal throughout the building life (Wang, et. al. 2005, pp. 1512-1525). Moreover, green buildings are also defined ...