Tech solutions: what can help you build better and how to report it

The World Green Building Council estimates that globally construction is responsible for 11% of carbon emissions. It’s therefore no surprise that, like in many industries, sustainability in construction is being transformed by an array of technical solutions designed to facilitate better buildings and reporting: Madaster; Qflow, One Click LCA and Biosite have all been set up relatively recently in this regard. Like much of the drive towards digital transformation, it is data driven and predicated upon the automation that AI and machine learning can bring to the table.

The importance of automation is a hot topic right now. Organisations need to transform to compose the future, and a key part of that will be using data to change behaviour; of course, this requires people investing in the right technology that will allow them to optimise their data. This needs to be understood as part of the sustainability agenda and the imperative of working towards a low carbon future. With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of what is out there in the world of sustainable building.

Madaster

It is an online platform that functions as a digital library of materials, aiding in the circular use of products and materials in the construction industry. Working on the buildings as material banks model, the platform helps the user develop material passports that report upon the quality, origin and location of each material in a building, which function as an important factor in designing buildings dynamically and flexibly to create a circular building value chain. Linear economies are not sustainable, hence the move to value chains predicated upon reusing or regenerating materials, and the need to report and analyse them. There are environmental, financial and social benefits to getting this right. Indeed, throwing materials away actually turns something that could be an asset into a cost. This is from Madaster’s website:

“Buildings are registered, including the materials and products that were used in their construction. Documenting, registering and archiving of the materials applied in buildings and construction objects makes their reuse easier, encourages smart design and eliminates waste. By doing so, each building becomes a reservoir of materials.”

Like so much else, it’s all about the data: users are provided with insights into material, circular and financial value of raw materials. Its target audience includes the owners of real estate and infrastructure, as well as the organisations that serve them, such as contractors, developers, architects, engineers, online marketplaces and deconstruction or harvesting companies.

Sustainable house. Photo: Pxfuel

Qflow

Qflow is a slightly different animal: it’s designed to automate the collection and analysis of project data, from which insights are fed back. It provides dynamic auditing, unlimited photo documentation, unlimited access to the platform and the app, automated and manual data export, system integration for reporting if needed and data insight reports, among other things. This is from their website:

“Qflow enables a positive shift in the way waste and material data is collected and used across projects. Through a unique combination of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Qflow automates data capture and analysis to help drive both commercial and carbon savings whilst mitigating risk.”

There are two other factors at play: the growing need to be able to demonstrate progression in sustainability performance, while of course making a profit and getting a return on your investment.

Of course, the bigger picture driving this is the increasing ubiquity of the sustainability agenda, which the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated. Yes, these tech solutions and the push for net zero carbon predate it, but nevertheless, we are going to see more and more of this. Forbes, for example, is of the view that

“sustainability means shifting the way we do and think about things, therefore the implementation of sustainable strategies is really about change management. This means that the process of preparing and aligning an organization around any given sustainability change is as important as the new sustainability initiative itself.”

This change management will be at macro and micro levels and will increasingly become the norm throughout the decade. Part of this will be the increased rolling out of the tech solutions under scrutiny here.

One Click LCA

Many players in the construction field want to assess the actual environmental impacts of a product or service. An LCA allows for the quantification of impact via the inputs and outputs that it provides and aids in making better environmental decisions. It measures the carbon emissions that result from the combination of the materials, construction and use of a building throughout its life and afterlife, effectively, as demolition and disposal form part of the cycle. It is used as part of achieving certifications like BREEAM in the UK, and similar ones in other countries, such as LEED and Energie Carbone.

As you’d expect, a one click version of this is an automated assessment using software that “helps you calculate and reduce the environmental impacts of your building & infra projects, products and portfolio” in minutes, as the website states. A platform is available, plus a variety of other tools, including a web-based tool for Life Cycle Costing. The goal, of course, is to design greener buildings. Data points can be manually inputted or transferred from existing databases and tools and results are tailored to the required certifications.

Biosite

This piece of software is a contactless access control system for construction sites that uses

“biometric and wireless technology to provide real-time visibility of your workforce, on site and at group level. The system captures accurate, real-time operative data using a range of devices, to optimise operational efficiency, improve health and safety and ensure compliance.”

Primarily, then, its function is to secure premises and give confidence to its users that they are in control of the sites that they operate. Again, it’s about capturing data and is predicated upon real-time insights to aid workforce, task and material management. They have a tool called Sense, which converts real-time, quality data into a single insight source. It allows the user to respond quickly to any problems and to ensure and prove compliance.

Of course, the pandemic has added another layer to this, and there is a dedicated Covid-19 section on the site, with a temperature measurement solution being added to the facial recognition tool, which not only prevents access but logs the individual’s details for tracing purposes. There’s also a contactless card reader that can be used in place of the biometric solution and a mobile app.

There is an educational function, too, with training modules for operational briefings available on the website.

Let’s conclude by giving a last word to Richard Hyams, Director of astudio, who nicely sums up the efficacy of tech in sustainable construction:

“at the centre of sustainable construction is the industry itself and positively, technology is providing new ways for the sector to commit to its green goals. With decades of building data already available, creating AI algorithms that can replicate a traditional process and enhance it is just one way technology is helping. By identifying the best parameters for success, these AI algorithms can significantly reduce project timelines and waste.”