Evaluating Sustainable Building-Maintenance Projects: Balancing Economic, Social, and Environmental Impacts in the Case of Hong Kong
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142, Issue 2
Abstract
This study investigates whether existing residential buildings can be repaired and maintained with alternative mixes of materials to maximize social, economic, or environmental benefits through a case study of a residential building repair and maintenance projects in Hong Kong. Based on optimization techniques, through a portfolio of materials two of the three objectives in building maintenance works can be achieved: employment generation, lifecycle cost reduction, and carbon emission reduction. These materials are different from the original ones used in the floors, walls, ceilings, waterproofing, and doors. The findings enhance the sustainability performance of the global building construction sector in overcoming the universal barriers to implementing energy-efficient buildings, namely, high initial cost, weak enforcement of government policies, and uncertainty of returns. The prototype model suggests that a portfolio of materials can be constructed to achieve two objectives at any given time, with the third objective acting as a constraint. The optimization techniques enable the global building construction sector to strike a balance among economic, social, and environmental benefits and constraints in maintenance works.
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Acknowledgments
We thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. This study is funded by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (Project Reference Number: B-Q22V).
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Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 142 • Issue 2 • February 2016
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© 2015 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jul 9, 2014
Accepted: Jul 27, 2015
Published online: Oct 7, 2015
Published in print: Feb 1, 2016
Discussion open until: Mar 7, 2016
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