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Assessing environmental impacts of site activities during construction of Milwaukee School of Engineering's Kern Center site and concrete construction / Robert G. Brillhart.

by Brillhart, Robert G.

Building sites -- Environmental aspects.

Pollution prevention

Runoff -- Environmental aspects.

Construction industry -- Waste disposal.

Building materials -- Environmental aspects

125 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm.

Thesis advisor: Dr. Carol Diggelman.

Committee members: Dr. Francis Mahuta, Kenneth Kaszubowski.

Project background and introduction -- Literature review -- Methodology -- Results and discussion -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Appendix A: Theoretical soil excavation calculation table ; B: Division 31 estimated concrete and steel consumption calculation tables ; C: Division 3 estimated concrete and steel consumption calculation tables ; D: Division 31 and 3 estimated wood input calculation tables ; E: Division 31 and 3 concrete LCI calculation tables ; F: Division 31 and 3 steel LCI calculation tables ; G: Division 31 and 3 wood LCI calculation tables ; H: Division 31 and 3 diesel fuel LCI calculation tables ; I: Division 31 and 3 gasoline LCI calculation tables ; J: Concrete sealant material safety data sheet.

This project develops a baseline characterization of input flows of construction materials, fuels and water; materials remaining on site as stock; and outputs to the environment as waste and emissions for Construction Specification Institute (CSI) division 31 (site work) and 3 (concrete construction) for construction of the Milwaukee School of Engineering Kern Center.

Division 31 site activities included removal of sidewalks and asphalt pavement, excavation of soil, and installation of the soil retention system. Division 31 inputs included concrete, steel, wood, diesel fuel, gasoline, and electricity. Concrete, steel, and wood accounted for 86%, 8%, and 7% respectively of the input construction materials characterized and quantified. Diesel fuel accounted for nearly 99% of the energy inputs. Gasoline and electricity accounted for the remainder. Ninety eight percent of concrete, 100% of steel, and 100% of wood inputs were estimated to remain onsite. Sixty one percent of outputs were estimated to be air emissions. Thirty four percent of the air emissions occurred onsite from consumption of energy inputs. Embodied air emissions accounted for 27% of the emissions resulting from manufacturing input materials. Thirty seven percent of the outputs were solid waste; 33% generated onsite (landfilled contaminated soil and washout from concrete trucks) and 4% off site or embodied solid wastes.

CSI division 3 included installation of the building foundation and cast-in-place and pre-cast concrete activities. Division 3 inputs included concrete, steel, wood, concrete sealant, diesel fuel, gasoline, and electricity. Concrete, steel, wood, and concrete sealant accounted for nearly 97% and 3%, respectively of input construction materials. Diesel fuel, gasoline, and electricity accounted for 64%, 36%, and less than 1% respectively of energy inputs. The percentages of input concrete and steel remaining on site during division 3 site activities were the same as division 31. However, only 60% of wood and 25% of concrete sealant inputs was estimated to remain onsite. Seventy-eight percent of the outputs were air emissions. Embodied air emissions accounted for 66% of the total emissions whereas 12% of the air emissions were generated onsite. Solid wastes accounted for 15% of division 3 outputs. Ten percent of the solid wastes were generated onsite as washout from concrete trucks. Embodied solid wastes accounted for 5% of the outputs. Seven percent of outputs were waterborne wastes with over 99% generated onsite from washout of concrete trucks and domestic wastewater.

Overall, 61% of the total outputs from CSI division 31 and 3 are estimated to have occurred prior to on site construction activities. This is due to the large fraction of building materials containing embodied wastes and energy introduced during CSI division 3. Summarizing the total environmental impacts of both divisions, 73% of the total outputs were estimated to be air emissions. Diesel fuel accounted for over 77% of the emissions released on site during construction activities. Solid waste outputs accounted for 21% of the total outputs.

Currently, construction data is not collected, organized, and evaluated. Completing a project on time, under budget, and complying with environmental laws and regulations are their goals. Reducing emissions from construction vehicles, facilitating carpooling of construction workers, reducing soil tracked off site and reducing washout wastes from concrete trucks were a few activities identified by this project as ways for the construction industry to reduce environmental burdens on site.

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