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Ziadat ... saving by going green.

Summit to focus on sustainable practice

01 April 2012

MIDDLE EAST construction companies can slash up to 30 per cent off operational costs by adopting sustainable building principles, according to an industry expert, who is a key speaker at the infrastructure Arabia Summit.

Arabia Summit is a feature of World ecoConstruct, taking place this month (April 22 to 25) at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

Dr Ghassan Ziadat, director of infrastructure (UAE), and regional head of bridges, Middle East and India at Atkins, UAE, said companies can save up to 20 per cent on initial investment in construction projects through proper design.
He said that there are three key principles to “going green” in the construction industry, all contributing positively to the environment, economy and society.

“Most of the savings that construction companies can potentially achieve from ‘going green’ are realised through good design with minimal wastage of materials,” Ziadat said.

“Additionally, savings in operational costs of infrastructure are made through optimal use of water and energy. Through good design, construction companies can limit the initial investment to 10 to 20 per cent of the cost of the building, which is more than offset by the savings in operation and maintenance and could save 20 to 30 per cent of operational costs.
“Sustainability is becoming increasingly adopted as one of the primary considerations in the design and construction of the built environment at both the regional and global levels.

“At Atkins we have introduced carbon critical design as part of our philosophy on all projects we are involved with,” Ziadat said.

Fatma Amer, adviser of building code and construction, Municipal Regulations Divisions at the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipal Affairs (DMA), said that there are short and long-term economic benefits of adopting sustainable practices.
Amer, who will be speaking at the World ecoConstruct Summit, another feature of the event, said: Short-term benefits include reduction of maintenance costs, utility bills and construction debris at dump sites, savings on water and energy usage, cleaner indoor air quality and the reduction of construction costs attributed to recycling building material.”

“All these lead to long-term benefits such as the reduction of carbon emissions, improving overall human health and preserving the earth’s ecosystem.”

World ecoConstruct, a collaboration between Abu Dhabi’s two leading building and construction events, CityBuild and Arabian Construction Week, is the region’s only dedicated expo focusing on sustainable design and construction for the built environment.

The market for green building materials is projected to reach $406 billion by 2015 with the Middle East poised for the fastest growth, the organisers point out.

Co-located with the sixth edition of Cityscape Abu Dhabi, World ecoConstruct provides a crucial sourcing and knowledge platform for major projects within Abu Dhabi and the surrounding region.