General Contractors' Awareness and Participation in Sustainable Construction Practices

Presenter Information

Awale Hussein, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mike Franks, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Shirley Hu, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Location

CSU 253/254

Start Date

27-4-2009 9:30 AM

End Date

27-4-2009 12:00 PM

Student's Major

Construction Management

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Scott Fee

Mentor's Department

Construction Management

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

According to US Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings in the United States account for 72% of electricity consumption, 39% of energy use, 38% of all carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, 40% of raw materials use, 136 million tons of waste annually, and 14% of potable water consumption. Green buildings can reduce 24%-50% of the energy use, 33%-39% carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions , 40% of the water use, and 70% of the solid waste (USGBC). Environmental, economic, health and community benefits can be achieved by having sustainable energy and green buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System that was developed by USGBC is the most accepted green building rating system in the United States; the system is practiced among building owners, design professionals and general contractors. In this study, the awareness and participation in the LEED system are being investigated among general contractors in the upper Midwest region of the United States. A survey of 15 questions was sent via email to the members of Associated General Contractors. Phone interviews were also conducted as part of the investigation. The statistical results were analyzed and compared with the results from Dr. Scott Fee's 2005 study. An increase of 23% in awareness and 27% in participation were observed among general contractors in the new study. As the results indicated, more general education and encouragement are needed to increase both awareness and participation among general contractors.