Treading on thin ice?

Interview with Marcel Poser from CONNAECT Magazine 2nd Edition - 2008

 

Whatever your personal beliefs about why global warming is happening - or whether indeed it is happening at all - there are some real benefits to be derived from adopting an environmentally sensitive approach. BBR VT International Ltd's CEO, Marcel Poser, outlines recent developments within the BBR Network which give the construction industry some greener options.

 

What is absolutely clear is that there is no single means of halting climate change, so we need to explore all the options we have to reduce our environmental footprint, as we need to take care of our planet - because time is running out!

We have to change our attitude and abandon our fear that an environmentally sensitive approach means restrictions to our lifestyle. The fact is that taking a greener approach actually leads to innovations, business opportunities and continued growth. It is a challenge for our society and we need to work together. We need strong politicians, as well as sensitive and smart business leaders. Once clear and challenging targets have been set, mankind has always delivered We flew to the moon, tore down the Iron Curtain... Not because they were easy, but because they were hard and because there have been visionary leaders.

Narrowing our focus to the construction sector, it's simply not enough to rely only upon "sustainable technology" to fight the challenges of the future; we have to consider the entire lifecycle of a structure.

A good example in constuction is the post-tensioning of slabs in buildings. PT slab tendons are the sustainable technology, but they only lead to a truly environmentally sensitive structure if we make smart choices from the beginning to the end - from the building placement, through integrated and customised building designs, to construction methods which fully exploit the benefits of the "sustainable" post-tensioning slab technology, as well as early stage re-usage and ultimate disposal considerations. If we do all of this, we not only end up with a structure which uses less concrete and steel, but have significantly reduced the carbon footprint and environmental impact during construction and have, in fact, also achieved a higher quality end product at a lower cost - thus, an environmentally sensitive structure which actually saves money!

To Top | Back