“Green Buildings” are essential in being responsive to the challenges of climate change and global warming while inhibiting natural resources degradation. This demand requires specific attention to increase the adoption of green-certified buildings within the construction industry. Innovative tools and techniques are needed to meet global challenges and strategies set for Sustainable Development Goals of 2030 agenda. This paper provides an intensive review of the evolution of green buildings from a sustainable development perspective which investigates the current global adoption of green buildings. Systematic Literature Review (SLR) and Selective Critical Literature Review Analysis (SCLRA) methodologies were adopted focusing on the content analysis to develop more in-depth knowledge. The scope of this study enlightens the sustainable development goals and initiatives. This paper highlighted that there is still inadequate adoption of green buildings and their rating tools on a significant basis in developing countries. This research adds a method towards the better understanding of green buildings and current scenarios that shall be considered for future research.
3 December 2014 in Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering
According to the sustainability principles, building should have zero-embodied energy in order to minimize the amount of carbon. In previous practices, construction materials have been composed with non-recyclable materials and after demolition of buildings the debris were put on different landfills. Nowadays, most of the material manufacturers have shifted their concerns to produce materials by using renewable resources, and also gained opportunity in utilizing wasted streams. The proposed biomaterials have been produced using natural fibers which reinforce biodegradable polymeric, in which naturally occurring aliphatic thermoplastic polyesters are produced by microbes via bacterial fermentation in carbon-rich environments. The composite material produced exhibits comparable properties to structural grade wood and is rapidly biodegradable in specific anaerobic conditions, at the end of its useful life. Using anaerobic digester sludge from local wastewater treatment plants as the biodegradation medium, the material decomposes into biogas that consists mostly of inert gases and, of particular interest, methane, which can be captured and used either as a biofuel or as a closed-loop carbon source. This paper documents bio-based composite material development, durability issues, anaerobic biodegradation, and potential industrial applications.