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MODULE 4 - CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
This module focuses on understanding the relationship of Civil Engineering to Environmental Science.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Explain the relationship of civil engineering to environmental science;
- Discuss the importance of environmental science to civil engineering; and
- Determine the issues in civil engineering related to environmental science.
Environmental science is the field of science that studies the interactions of the physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment and also the relationships and effects of these components with the organisms in the environment. In the previous module, the connection of sustainability to civil engineering was tackled whereas in this module, what will be discussed is the relationship of civil engineering and environmental science as well as the importance of considering environmental science in civil engineering.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ON CONSTRUCTION SITES
HOW CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COULD SOLVE THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY
The two YouTube videos inserted above could summarize the content of this particular module. Nonetheless, the two titles themselves were intriguing that one will be forced to watch them as they present the connection of environmental science and civil engineering. The video on the left entitled "environmental management on construction sites" got four questions answered that form the basis of an environmental management plan which aims better energy efficiency, improved cost savings from less material wastage and waste costs as well as maintaining a legal compliance.
The five environmental issues are:
- Resource depletion or the use of virgin materials such as aggravates and timber;
- Climate change or the usage of energy and fuel causing ozone depletion;
- Pollution of land, air, and water;
- Loss of biodiversity; and
- Statutory nuisance or the noise and vibration issues from the construction activities.
Spillages into local water systems and the dust and fumes in the air will lead to pollution. Disruption of wildlife is most likely to happen since construction perhaps require a bit of destroying the ecosystem such as cutting of trees which serve as the dwellings of wild birds and other animals. Also, plant reproduction is at risk since pollination can be hindered. Lastly, improper waste management can lead to contamination of ground and nearby streams or rivers. To sum up, the harmful effects of construction activities on the environment are:
- Pollution
- Disruption of wildlife
- Disabled plant reproduction
- Contamination of ground and streams
The video proposed several solutions to the aforementioned environmental issues in the construction sites.
- Reduce waste to landfill which means better storage of construction materials.
- Reduce carbon dioxide emissions from plants and vehicles through choosing the ones with energy-efficient engines and not leaving engines running when it is unnecessary.
- More responsible material resourcing.
- Prevention of pollution through avoiding spillages.
- Proper management of water on site to conserve water and reuse them as much as possible.
- Conduct biodiversity surveys and archaeological surveys to identify protected species and potential artifacts or treasures on the site, respectively.
Sustainable construction methods will result to:
- Reduced environmental impact;
- Efficiency improvements;
- Cost savings in terms of fuel, materials, waste, and energy savings;
- Reduced costs;
- Increased profits;
- Better legal compliance; and
- Improved overall performance of the company.
Meanwhile, the second video entitled "how construction technology could solve the climate emergency" introduced a new type of technology called digital twins that promotes awareness among the stakeholders until they are encouraged to campaign towards solving the climate emergency.
Digital twins create a digital replica of a physical building that actually behaves like the real structure and provides crucial information on real life performance, enable us to better understand how our buildings are performing and simulate how they may perform in the future under a range of scenarios. Digital twin technology gives you a visual prototype of the building that allows you to measure it, allows you to test, and allows you to experiment on it without having to experiment on a real building. This digital twin technology can improve energy resilience, reduce operating costs, increase resource efficiency, and help to decarbonize our buildings. These are results of the combined building simulation and machine learning of systems like the Intelligent Communities Lifecycle, or ICL Environmental Digital Twin which then provide insights on energy use, waste heat, renewables, and occupant comfort and even transport connectivity. Any gaps in real world data can be filled with projections developed by the intelligent digital twin itself.
Digital twin technology is simply a collection of data which when shared in the public could bring awareness to everybody about the energy use of a particular household and thus giving them the idea to adjust or maybe reduce the energy use at some point. Digital twin technology is a matter of information dissemination which can influence everybody to do his or her part towards solving the climate emergency we are currently experiencing.
REFLECTION
I learned in this module that civil engineering and environmental science are indeed interrelated with each other. Civil engineering shall hold paramount towards a sustainable environment. That particular code of ethics would not be realized without environmental science being recognized by civil engineering itself. Since the ultimate goal here is to attain sustainable development, civil engineers themselves should take into consideration the environmental aspects of every project or activity they intend to do. They should understand first the environmental issues they will be facing once they start building an infrastructure especially the harmful effects their activities might cause on the environment. More importantly, they should be aware of the ways on how to manage these issues so as to reduce their impending impacts. In short, civil engineers should learn sustainable construction methods such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions or proper water management on the site. Also, civil engineers must adopt the technological advancements and maximize their advantages towards promoting sustainability. The environment we all live is slowly transforming into a modernized one through the developments people continually do everyday. May we use this as an advantage to bring awareness and educate everyone on the current environmental issues as well as the different solutions one can contribute towards achieving sustainable development.
I learned in this module that civil engineering and environmental science are indeed interrelated with each other. Civil engineering shall hold paramount towards a sustainable environment. That particular code of ethics would not be realized without environmental science being recognized by civil engineering itself. Since the ultimate goal here is to attain sustainable development, civil engineers themselves should take into consideration the environmental aspects of every project or activity they intend to do. They should understand first the environmental issues they will be facing once they start building an infrastructure especially the harmful effects their activities might cause on the environment. More importantly, they should be aware of the ways on how to manage these issues so as to reduce their impending impacts. In short, civil engineers should learn sustainable construction methods such as reducing carbon dioxide emissions or proper water management on the site. Also, civil engineers must adopt the technological advancements and maximize their advantages towards promoting sustainability. The environment we all live is slowly transforming into a modernized one through the developments people continually do everyday. May we use this as an advantage to bring awareness and educate everyone on the current environmental issues as well as the different solutions one can contribute towards achieving sustainable development.
Salazar-Classwork Assignment#4-BSCE1B.pdfCLASSWORK ASSIGNMENT #4
Salazar-Coursework3Part1-BSCE1B.pdfCOURSEWORK #3 PART 1
Salazar-Coursework3Part2-BSCE1B.pdfCOURSEWORK #3 PART 2
REFERENCES:
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