Sustainable Construction and Materials

Recommended Prerequisites

No specific requirements beyond the general requirements for admission to the course.

Teaching Methods

Teaching model both theoretical and practical, combining in a balanced way theoretical presentations, presentation and discussion of case studies, critical participation by students (including the development of mini-projects), and also the contact with entities and relevant external projects, either through guest speakers, or through field visits.

Learning Outcomes

With this course unit it is intended that the student acquires a set of critical tools and knowledge to help taking, and justifying, technical, methodological and strategic decisions in the context of actions for construction / rehabilitation of buildings and urban structures seeking a "sustainable construction", understood as an integral and relevant parcel of a policy of "sustainable development".     

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. Development and Sustainable Construction

1.1 Evolution of the concept vs global politics

1.2 The urban organization and the sustainable development

1.3 The sustainability of construction and its value chain

2. Evaluation of Sustainability in Construction

2.1 Principles of sustainability in buildings and urban structures

2.2 Criteria, parameters, models and assessment tools

3.  Sustainable Materials

3.1  Criteria and parameters for assessing the environmental impact of materials

3.2  Characterization and environmental performance of building materials

3.3  Recovery of construction waste

3.4  Product Environmental Declarations

4. Lifecycle Analysis

4.1 Evolution of the concept and models . Standardization .

4.2 Methodology of Life Cycle Analysis

4.3 Critical reflection and application examples .

5.  Support methods for the design of sustainable rehabilitation

5.1 Models and criteria

5.2 Application and critical reflection of a Model of Sustainability Assessment in Rehabilitation.

Head Lecturer(s)

António Alberto de Faria Bettencourt

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 50.0%
Resolution Problems: 50.0%

Bibliography

Agenda 21, On sustainable construction – CIB Report Publication 237. CIB, Rotterdam, 1999.

ISO_14000, Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use. 2004

ISO_14001, Environmental labels and declarations - Type I environmental labelling - Principles and procedures. 2004

Bjorn, B. - The ecology of building materials. Publisher: Architectural Press, 2009, 448 p.

[10] RAMOS, Ana Ferreira, “Os Custos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável para a Arquitectura, Engenharia e Construção nos Processos de Reabilitação”, Tese de Dout. , Universidade de Coimbra, 2010.

BETTENCOURT, A. – “O Processo de Projeto como Prenúncio de Sustentabilidade - Análise de um Conjunto de Instalações do Ensino Superior da Década de Noventa do Século XX”. Tese Dout., Universidade de Coimbra, 2012.

Gervásio, H., Sustainable Design and integral life-cycle analyses of bridges, Tese Dout., Universidade de Coimbra. 2010