Sustainable Construction, 5th Edition

Chapter 14Construction Operations and Commissioning

The role of the construction team in executing a green building project and making it a reality is extremely important and should not be underestimated. A general contractor or construction management company (GC/CM) that orients its employees and its subcontractors to the purposes of the project can make an enormous difference in the overall outcome. Several types of construction activities are specifically identified in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Green Globes building assessment systems as potentially providing credit for certification, including construction waste management, erosion and sedimentation control, limiting the footprint of construction operations, and construction indoor air quality (IAQ). In addition to these aspects of the high-performance green building project, the construction team may make other contributions that are not specifically covered by building assessment systems. Examples include improving materials handling and storage; reusing site materials, such as topsoil, lime rock, asphalt, and concrete; metering site electrical and water usage; and reducing pollution generation activities. It is important for the GC/CM to administer construction operations in a fashion that clearly communicates the unique aspects and requirements of high-performance green buildings to all the subcontractors and suppliers involved. This chapter focuses on identifying how construction ...