Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The supply of housing products that is durable, obtained at optimum cost and available within the shortest time possible describes the term sustainable housing. Findings derived from the reviewed literature concerning the ever-increasing quest of construction clients for ‘best value for money’ on construction projects brought about the emergence of alternative contract procurement strategies. Essentially, literature revealed that it is vital to adopt an appropriate contract procurement strategy, one that best addresses particular project needs and objectives, as the adoption of an inappropriate procurement system would result in excessive project cost and time overrun, low project quality standards and the dissatisfaction of involved construction stakeholders. The quest for the supply of sustainable housing in the Western Cape, South Africa, prompted the need to establish an effective contract procurement strategy for housing project delivery. Noteworthy, this study identified five (5) objectives directed towards establishing an effective contract procurement strategy to enhance sustainable housing delivery: 1) the first objective examined the effectiveness of contract procurement strategies used for housing projects; 2) the second objective identified the factors influencing the selection of a suitable contract procurement strategy for housing projects; 3) the third objective analysed the influence of contract procurement strategies on project cost, time and quality; 4) the fourth objective examined the benefits and shortfalls associated with various contract procurement strategies on housing project resources – construction materials, machinery and manpower; 5) and the last objective was to establish the contract procurement strategy that is most effective for the delivery of sustainable housing. This research adopted a mixed methodological approach involving the administration of close-ended quantitative questionnaires submitted to construction professionals and stakeholders and semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with construction site managers and supervisors. SPSS version 24 software was used to analyse the quantitative data elicited, and “content analysis” was used to analyse the information obtained through the qualitative interviews. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient reliability test was conducted on scaled research questions to ensure the reliability of the research questionnaire. The research findings revealed that the traditional and the design and build contract procurement approaches are cost, time and quality effective and therefore satisfactory, while the traditional contract procurement system is also effective regarding construction stakeholder satisfaction. The research identified that the significant factors influencing the selection of a contract procurement strategy include delay and mistakes in producing design documents; client inability to brief and make timely decisions; project type, nature, scope and complexity; lack of communication and feedback; lack of discipline among construction workers; and finally, lack of availability of construction materials. The study concluded that thorough consideration of these findings by construction stakeholders within the construction industry will enhance the delivery of affordable, sustainable housing. The research study recommends, among other issues, the comparison of effectiveness of contract procurement strategies on project performance on a site-by-site basis, through work study and other available strategies, to further enhance sustainable housing delivery in the South African construction industry.

Assignment (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although there are serious hurdles to overcome before green, energy-efficient homes become common; the technological and market-based foundations are already in place to support a shift in standard practice. Many organizations, from the federal government to local non-profits, are driving the transition to more efficient homebuilding practices through research, market-based competition, and tax incentives. However, many builders are resisting the transition, due to the fragmented nature of the building industry and a perceived lack of consumer demand. Because of the nature of the US economy, until American consumers understand green homes and demand builders to build them, green homebuilding will not reach its full potential. If building practices are left unchanged, inefficient homes will continue to cause dire consequences to the world because of their contribution to global climate change. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoewel daar ernstige struikelblokke bestaan, wat oorkom moet word alvorens groen, energie-doelmatige wonings algemeen raak, is die tegnologiese en markgerigte grondslae reeds gelê om ’n verskuiwing in standaard-praktyk te onderskraag. Verskeie instansies – van die federale regering tot nie-winsgewende organisasies – verleen stukrag deur middel van navorsing, markgerigte mededinging en belastingaansporings aan die oorgang na meer doelmatige gebruike rondom praktyke ten opsigte van die konstruksie van huise. Weens die gefragmenteerde aard van die boubedryf en die waarneembare gebrek aan verbruikersaanvraag staan talle bouers egter die vermelde oorgang teen. Weens die aard van die VSA se ekonomie en totdat Amerikaanse verbruikers groen tuistes kan verkoop en by bouers aandring om hulle op te rig, sal groen woningkonstruksie nie sy volle potensiaal bereik nie. Indien boupraktyke onveranderd gelaat word, sal ondoelmatige wonings as gevolg van hulle bydrae tot globale klimaatsverandering steeds aaklige gevolge vir die wêreld tot gevolg hê.

With few studies focusing on the construction of green buildings in South Africa, there is a need to understand the reasoning behind the development of residential estates that have classified themselves as “eco”. The aim of this study was to establish whether or not residential estates that market themselves as “eco” are in fact sustainable. This study looks at the environmental sustainability of residential eco-estates (n=7) and compares them to non-eco-estates (n=7) in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The study used content analysis to evaluate the marketing material of the 14 estates sampled for the study. The data gathered through content analysis was then used to determine the environmental sustainability for each estate using an adapted version of the Sustainable Building Assessment Tool. The findings indicate that although the residential eco-estates had higher environmental sustainability scores when compared with non-eco-estates, the overall score for many of the eco-estates was too low for them to be classified as sustainable. The results of the study also highlight that a number of the eco-estates use greenwashing methods to attract potential homeowners. By selling nature, these estates are able to attract homeowners who may be interested in protecting the environment. When looking at these findings, it is possible to assume that the development of residential eco-estates has less to do with the sustainability of nature and has more to do with a desire to increase profits. In order to achieve environmental sustainability, it is therefore important to provide guidelines for developers to use if they are genuinely interested in creating estates that focus on the protection of the environment and natural resources. These guidelines can be developed through frameworks that exist to evaluate the sustainability of developments. Although much of the focus of this research is placed on the developers of each estate, it is important to acknowledge that the individuals who live within these estates are just as responsible for achieving sustainability. / Geography / M.A. (Geography)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo tem como objetivo realizar uma avaliação dos sistemas construtivos de casas de madeira baseadas no sistema Light Wood Frame, aplicados na região de Curitiba, Paraná. Foram realizadas entrevistas com empresas que utilizam o sistema construtivo Light Wood Frame. Foi utilizado um questionário com perguntas diretas e questões abertas relativas à produção, recursos materiais e tempo de produção. A conclusão foi de que o uso de madeira em tecnologia de construção de habitação é uma solução adequada e que o sistema Light Wood Frame é uma alternativa construtiva eco-eficiente, porque otimiza processos construtivos, utiliza-se de materiais recicláveis e/ou renováveis, e diminui desperdícios na obra, fornecendo soluções para problemas relacionados com a eficiência energética, sustentabilidade e habitação limpa no Brasil. Para um bom desempenho na aplicação de madeira para construção de moradias tornar-se uma realidade, a produção brasileira no sistema precisa ser submetida à normalização e regulamentos, para aumentar a produtividade dos sistemas existentes e incentivar a construção em madeira no Brasil. / The present study aims to conduct an assessment of building systems of wooden houses based in Light Wood Frame system, applied in Curitiba, Paraná. Interviews were conducted with companies that use system constructive Light Wood Frame in Brazil, more specifically in the region of Curitiba, Paraná. It was used a questionnaire with direct questions and open questions concerning production, material resources and production time. The conclusion was that the use of wood in housing construction technology is an appropriate solution and the system Light Wood Frame is a constructive alternative eco-efficient, because provides solutions to problems related to energy efficiency, sustainability and clean housing in Brazil. To a good performance in use of wood for houses to become a reality, the Brazilian production system needs to be submitted for standardization and regulations to increase the productivity of existing systems.

Due to factors such as rising energy costs, diminishing resources, and climate change, the demand for high performance buildings is on the rise. As a result, several new building standards have emerged including the Passive House Standard, a rigorous energy-use standard based on a super-insulated and very tightly sealed building envelope. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference, annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. A common complaint about passive houses is that they tend to overheat. Prior research using simulation suggests that the use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), which store heat as they melt and release heat as the freeze, can reduce the number of overheated hours and improve thermal comfort. In this study, an actual passive house duplex in Southeast Portland was thoroughly instrumented to monitor various air and surface temperatures. One unit contains 130kg of PCM while the other unit contains no PCM to serve as an experimental control. The performance of the PCM was evaluated through analysis of observed data and through additional simulation using an EnergyPlus model validated with observed data. The study found that installation of the PCM had a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing the estimated overheated hours from about 400 to 200.

Due to rising energy costs and concerns about global climate change, high performance buildings are more in demand than ever before. With roughly 20% of the total energy consumption in the United States being devoted to residential use, this sector represents a significant opportunity for future savings. There are many guidelines and standards for reducing building energy consumption. One of the most stringent is the Passive House Standard. The standard requires that that air infiltration is less than or equal to 0.6 air changes per hour at a 50 Pascal pressure difference (ACH 50), annual heating energy is less than or equal to 15kWh/m2, and total annual source energy is less than or equal to 120 kWh/m2. For comparison, the typical West coast US residence has an ACH50 of 5 and annually uses more than 174 kWh/m2 of source energy according to the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey. With these challenging requirements, successful implementation of the Passive House Standard requires effective strategies to substantially reduce energy consumption for all end uses. Heating and cooling loads are low by necessity in a Passive House. As such this makes end uses like water heating a much larger fraction of total energy use than they would be in a typical building. When air to water heat pumps are employed the energy consumption by water heating is lowered significantly. By employing innovative heat recovery strategies the energy consumption for water heating and HVAC can be reduced even further. This study uses energy modeling and project cost analysis to evaluate three innovative control strategies. Results for a Passive House in Portland Oregon show a savings of about $70 annually with a payback period of 10 years. The same Passive House in Fairbanks Alaska with a different strategy would save $150 annually with a payback period of 5 years.