Category Archives: Construction

Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Key to Affordable Housing

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To be affordable, houses must be designed and built embracing strong principles of sustainability. Ensuring houses are energy-efficient may increase up-front construction costs a bit, including the costs of superior tools and equipment and professional architectural and mechanical engineers services, but the long-term benefits and future cost-efficiency are what matters. Non-believers think that it is an oxymoron to combine the idea of sustainability and affordability. But, the fact is that when homeowners are able to spend less on their energy bills they can budget better for repairs and maintenance, which intrinsically improves the durability and longevity of their houses. In … Continue reading →

Energy-efficient Building Envelopes in Oman – A Study

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In Oman, extreme hot weather conditions and thermally inefficient building envelopes have led to high cooling loads in residential units. Residential buildings serve a smaller number of occupants per unit, when compared to other sectors in the building industry. Also, mechanical, electrical and other energy-intensive equipment are relatively lesser in quantity and complexity. Yet, as per statistics, the residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity in the industry. In Oman, the residential sector consumes most of the electricity produced, with over 70 % of the load contributed by cooling using air conditioners (Zurigat et al., 2003). A major reason … Continue reading →

Everything You Need to Know About Hiring Hi-Rail Cranes

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Are you considering investing in hi-rail cranes but have no idea where to start? Hi-Rail Cranes are an essential piece of equipment for any job site that needs to lift and move heavy loads, so understanding how they work is incredibly important. For more information, we’ll explain what you need to know about hiring hi-rail cranes. So whether you’re looking for practical advice or want to expand your knowledge on the topic, you can trust that you will be completely informed when it comes time to hire a hi-rail crane. Benefits of Hiring a Hi-rail Crane As you learn more … Continue reading →

Green Buildings Certification in the MENA Region – Key Challenges

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Green building rating systems are increasingly gaining attention in the building industry in the MENA region. During the last 15 years, there has been a regional trend in developing and applying green building ratings systems. In several countries such systems have been developed in an attempt to follow the international green movement. For example, the Pearl Building Rating System (PBRS) was founded in UAE in 2007, the Green Pyramid (GPRS) and ARZ Building Rating System in Egypt and Lebanon respectively were founded in 2008, the Edama was proposed in Jordan in 2009 and Qatar Sustainability Assessment System (QSAS) was founded … Continue reading →

Green Ways to Increase Your Property’s Value

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Increasing a property’s value is something that everyone hopes to accomplish during their lifetime. The place in which one owns is usually the biggest asset of a person’s life. Therefore, one should treat it dearly by taking steps to improve its condition over the years. Over the past decade, there has been a huge drive towards achieving sustainability in all facets of our lives. Simply put to be sustainable or “green” means to satisfy your present needs in a way that does not compromise the needs or resources of future generations. More importantly to put this into the context of … Continue reading →

Green Building Sector in the Middle East: Sustainability Perspectives

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Green buildings are no longer a marginal concept but are becoming the standard for sustainable building construction and modernization in the Middle East. Forward thinking organizations can realize the benefits of being environmentally aware of the impact of each and every action undertaken in the present world of development. It is no longer about the financial bottom line and whether we are eco-friendly, it is a fundamental component of sustainability. Institutes and organizations in the Middle East can embrace green building initiatives as a mandate, while educational institutes can embrace it as a good citizen initiative developing the minds of … Continue reading →

How to Reduce Ecological Footprint Using Traditional Materials on Home Renovation

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Environmental responsibility has become a huge market over the last decade or so. Businesses, homes, products and practices are all being affected by the desire to produce environmentally friendly policy, which is ultimately a good thing for everyone. Not only are we creating better practices to show consumers, competition, and collaborators that we care for the environment, but we are also doing a good deed for our planet. The end goal is a way to shift our actions towards sustainable, or less wasteful lifestyle in every area of life. This is surprisingly evident in how we use materials in home … Continue reading →

The Key Features of a Green Building

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A green building incorporates environmental considerations into every stage of the building construction and focuses on the design, construction, operation and maintenance phases. The key process difference between green and conventional buildings is the concept of integration, whereby a multi-disciplinary team of building professionals work together from the pre-design phase through post-occupancy to optimize the building for environmental sustainability, performance, and cost saving. Green buildings offer widespread benefits to a number of building industry stakeholders, including building occupants and society as a whole. Green buildings typically incorporate superior air quality, abundant natural light, access to views and noise control which benefits … Continue reading →

The Key Features of Net-Zero Homes

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It doesn’t matter where in the world you live, the time has come to realize the importance of building homes that use zero energy. You don’t even have to believe in catastrophic global warming to realize the financial, comfort, and environmental benefits of net-zero homes. But first, you need to have an understanding of net-zero and zero-carbon buildings and their implications for us all, as well as the elements and features that need to be incorporated into a net-zero home. Net-Zero Homes and Energy Efficiency You could say that a net-zero or zero-energy home represents the best in energy efficiency. … Continue reading →

Top 10 Innovations in Green Structural Engineering You Should Know

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Modern cities need buildings that stand tall without pushing the planet down. Green structural engineering responds with fresh ideas that trim carbon, save energy, and hold their own against storms and quakes. Below are ten breakthroughs reshaping blueprints today. Each section explains the idea in plain language, highlights its benefits, and shows how designers already use it in real projects. 1. Carbon-Negative Concrete Concrete frames the world’s homes, bridges, and tunnels, but regular cement production releases massive carbon. New carbon-negative mixes flip the story. Plant minerals, captured CO₂, and even seawater waste become part of the binder. When the mix … Continue reading →

Eco-Friendly Ways of Fixing Damaged Roof

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If you run a small business, saving on your energy costs is among the best methods to keep the bottom line of your company as low as possible. Your roof is typically responsible for around 30% of the energy loss of your home or company. With time, this leads to an increase in your heating costs, energy bills, and the general comfort of your premises. New eco-friendly roofing elements can assist you to significantly improve the energy efficiency of your home or business premises while protecting the building from the roofing elements. That will mean less downtime due to water … Continue reading →

Energy Efficiency Implementation in GCC’s Residential Sector: Actions and Technical Requirements

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The huge existing stock of residential units in the GCC region, and the expected growth in residential construction projects, convey different challenges at the time of energy efficiency implementation. New developments require the definition and the enforcement of standards to be included at the design process; while owners and users of existing units require motivation and financial strategies to implement different levels of energy efficiency actions. A set of actions and requirements have been identified to improve energy efficiency in residential buildings, these include core management actions and specific technical requirements; and are defined for new developments and for already … Continue reading →