In this technical and educational research endeavor, a diverse group of civil engineering students took on the role of creating the means and methods of producing a successful building design. Architectural, structura...In this technical and educational research endeavor, a diverse group of civil engineering students took on the role of creating the means and methods of producing a successful building design. Architectural, structural, and environmental designs were primarily performed. This was followed by detailed cost analysis with the intent of providing a realistic cost comparison by pricing the intended building, using traditional material and typical building methods, versus pricing the building using recycled material and new present-day technology. Some green features needed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification were considered and applied. It is shown that producing a green building is more costly in present circumstances;however, the additional cost due to greenification pays itself off throughout the years giving in return saving features. Even though the design of a green building comes with detailed planning and costly material, it does generate benefits for the building owner, the society, and most importantly the environment.展开更多
Sustainable development has emerged as a defining priority in contemporary urban planning,with increasing emphasis on minimizing environmental impacts while promoting efficient resource use and long-term resilience.Am...Sustainable development has emerged as a defining priority in contemporary urban planning,with increasing emphasis on minimizing environmental impacts while promoting efficient resource use and long-term resilience.Among the globally recognized frameworks supporting this transition,the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)certification system has become a key benchmark for evaluating environmentally responsible construction practices.In the context of Saudi Arabia,the growing adoption of LEED aligns closely with the national objectives outlined in Vision 2030,which emphasizes ecological stewardship,energy efficiency,reduced carbon emissions,and the development of sustainable and resilient urban environments.This study examines the temporal growth and characteristics of LEED-certified and registered projects in Riyadh from 2008 to 2024,with particular focus on certification trends,annual registration patterns,achieved certification levels,and the distribution of LEED rating system versions.During the study period,a total of 702 projects successfully achieved LEED certification,highlighting the city’s increasing engagement with green building standards.The analysis indicates that LEED 2009(v2008)was the most widely adopted rating system,accounting for 622 certified projects.In terms of certification levels,Silver certification dominated the dataset with 533 projects,followed by Gold certification with 117 projects,while Certified and Platinum levels were comparatively limited.Overall,the results demonstrate a consistent upward trend in both LEED registrations and certifications over time,reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable construction.These findings provide valuable insight into Riyadh’s evolving sustainability trajectory and offer a useful evidence base for policymakers,planners,and developers seeking to advance future urban and environmental planning initiatives.展开更多
Construction according to green principles rather than traditional methods poses a new set of risks to project participants.These risks should be appropriately identified and managed in order to prevent cost overruns....Construction according to green principles rather than traditional methods poses a new set of risks to project participants.These risks should be appropriately identified and managed in order to prevent cost overruns.This study aims to identify construction risks and their cost impacts in LEED-certified projects.For this purpose,thirteen risks were identified based on a literature survey and were categorized under four groups of issues:(i)consultant,contractor and subcon-tractor,(ii)material,product and process,(iii)legal,regulatory and contractual,and(iv)financial and economic.A survey was then administered to green build-ing design and construction practitioners in the U.S.to assess the likelihood of occurrence of these risks and their respective impacts on project cost.According to the survey results,the risks associated with consultant,contractor and subcon-tractor issues have the highest expected impact on costs.The top five risk factors were determined as(1)contractors and subcontractors agreeing to standards that are not within their expertise and competence,(2)high cost of certification,(3)lack of expertise in new products/technologies,(4)doubts about the long-term viability and performance of new and untested products,materials and tech-nologies,and(5)inadequate definition of project parties’contractual roles and responsibilities.Mitigating the cost impact of risks is of great value to owners and designers and contractors.Recognizing the risks associated with LEED-certified projects and their cost impacts can be of benefit to all practitioners.展开更多
Fire protection is an essential public service but also one of the costliest ones.Considerable resources are devoted to fire protection including equipment,staff,training,and the facilities to house them.Fire stations...Fire protection is an essential public service but also one of the costliest ones.Considerable resources are devoted to fire protection including equipment,staff,training,and the facilities to house them.Fire stations,in particular,have a significant cost impact on state and municipal budgets.Fire stations are required in most local governments and like other municipal buildings are central to identity.To limit the cost of operating a fire station,municipalities have looked to more green building options.Green-rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)system have been used in the U.S.to assess green buildings.Thus,this paper aims to analyze 95 certified fire stations under the LEED-NC 2009 version(v3)that are located in the United States.A scorecard analysis(credits and points)of public data available serve as the foundation to describe the status of the green design and construction of these fire stations.The findings indicate that the points in the Material Resources(MR)category are achieved at the lowest rate compared to the other categories,on average 38%of 14 available points were earned.In addition,the points in the Energy and Atmosphere(EA)category are one of the lowest achievement rates,equal to 40.2%.The data also shows that 82%of LEED-certified fire stations belong to career or mostly career type,which are municipality fire departments funded by local governments.The significance of this study is to demonstrate the importance of both MR and EA categories for the design and construction phases of green fire stations.展开更多
文摘In this technical and educational research endeavor, a diverse group of civil engineering students took on the role of creating the means and methods of producing a successful building design. Architectural, structural, and environmental designs were primarily performed. This was followed by detailed cost analysis with the intent of providing a realistic cost comparison by pricing the intended building, using traditional material and typical building methods, versus pricing the building using recycled material and new present-day technology. Some green features needed to achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold certification were considered and applied. It is shown that producing a green building is more costly in present circumstances;however, the additional cost due to greenification pays itself off throughout the years giving in return saving features. Even though the design of a green building comes with detailed planning and costly material, it does generate benefits for the building owner, the society, and most importantly the environment.
基金funded by Prince Sultan University,Saudi Arabia.
文摘Sustainable development has emerged as a defining priority in contemporary urban planning,with increasing emphasis on minimizing environmental impacts while promoting efficient resource use and long-term resilience.Among the globally recognized frameworks supporting this transition,the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)certification system has become a key benchmark for evaluating environmentally responsible construction practices.In the context of Saudi Arabia,the growing adoption of LEED aligns closely with the national objectives outlined in Vision 2030,which emphasizes ecological stewardship,energy efficiency,reduced carbon emissions,and the development of sustainable and resilient urban environments.This study examines the temporal growth and characteristics of LEED-certified and registered projects in Riyadh from 2008 to 2024,with particular focus on certification trends,annual registration patterns,achieved certification levels,and the distribution of LEED rating system versions.During the study period,a total of 702 projects successfully achieved LEED certification,highlighting the city’s increasing engagement with green building standards.The analysis indicates that LEED 2009(v2008)was the most widely adopted rating system,accounting for 622 certified projects.In terms of certification levels,Silver certification dominated the dataset with 533 projects,followed by Gold certification with 117 projects,while Certified and Platinum levels were comparatively limited.Overall,the results demonstrate a consistent upward trend in both LEED registrations and certifications over time,reflecting a growing commitment to sustainable construction.These findings provide valuable insight into Riyadh’s evolving sustainability trajectory and offer a useful evidence base for policymakers,planners,and developers seeking to advance future urban and environmental planning initiatives.
文摘Construction according to green principles rather than traditional methods poses a new set of risks to project participants.These risks should be appropriately identified and managed in order to prevent cost overruns.This study aims to identify construction risks and their cost impacts in LEED-certified projects.For this purpose,thirteen risks were identified based on a literature survey and were categorized under four groups of issues:(i)consultant,contractor and subcon-tractor,(ii)material,product and process,(iii)legal,regulatory and contractual,and(iv)financial and economic.A survey was then administered to green build-ing design and construction practitioners in the U.S.to assess the likelihood of occurrence of these risks and their respective impacts on project cost.According to the survey results,the risks associated with consultant,contractor and subcon-tractor issues have the highest expected impact on costs.The top five risk factors were determined as(1)contractors and subcontractors agreeing to standards that are not within their expertise and competence,(2)high cost of certification,(3)lack of expertise in new products/technologies,(4)doubts about the long-term viability and performance of new and untested products,materials and tech-nologies,and(5)inadequate definition of project parties’contractual roles and responsibilities.Mitigating the cost impact of risks is of great value to owners and designers and contractors.Recognizing the risks associated with LEED-certified projects and their cost impacts can be of benefit to all practitioners.
文摘Fire protection is an essential public service but also one of the costliest ones.Considerable resources are devoted to fire protection including equipment,staff,training,and the facilities to house them.Fire stations,in particular,have a significant cost impact on state and municipal budgets.Fire stations are required in most local governments and like other municipal buildings are central to identity.To limit the cost of operating a fire station,municipalities have looked to more green building options.Green-rating systems such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED)system have been used in the U.S.to assess green buildings.Thus,this paper aims to analyze 95 certified fire stations under the LEED-NC 2009 version(v3)that are located in the United States.A scorecard analysis(credits and points)of public data available serve as the foundation to describe the status of the green design and construction of these fire stations.The findings indicate that the points in the Material Resources(MR)category are achieved at the lowest rate compared to the other categories,on average 38%of 14 available points were earned.In addition,the points in the Energy and Atmosphere(EA)category are one of the lowest achievement rates,equal to 40.2%.The data also shows that 82%of LEED-certified fire stations belong to career or mostly career type,which are municipality fire departments funded by local governments.The significance of this study is to demonstrate the importance of both MR and EA categories for the design and construction phases of green fire stations.
