Sustainable construction management practices in a Brazilian medium-sized city

Abstract The construction industry has a great impact on the environment worldwide. The diffusion of sustainability concepts has led the industry to improve environmental performance in building projects. This paper aims to identify sustainable practicesadopted by managers in the construction industryin a medium-sized city in Brazil. An online surveywith17 questions regarding knowledgeand application of environmental sustainability strategies in project design and construction management was applied to managersin the industry. The sample considered 20 construction companies, members of the city’s Civil Construction Union. Results show that, despite being aware of sustainability principles and their importance, only 30% of the companies apply at least one strategy related to waste management, waste production, sound, visual, water and soil pollution and energy and water consumption. This paper may contribute to the development of strategies to encourage sustainability in the construction sector.

摘要 建筑业对全球环境影响深远。可持续理念的普及推动该行业在建筑项目中提升环境绩效。本文旨在明确巴西某中型城市建筑业管理者所采用的可持续实践举措。研究针对该行业管理者开展了一项线上调研，问卷包含17道问题，围绕项目设计与施工管理环节的环境可持续战略认知与应用情况展开。调研样本涵盖该市建筑工会（Civil Construction Union）下属的20家建筑企业。结果显示，尽管受访企业均知晓可持续性原则及其重要性，但仅有30%的企业至少实施了一项与废弃物管理、废弃物产生、声光及视觉污染、水土污染以及能源与水资源消耗相关的战略措施。本研究可为制定推动建筑业可持续发展的相关策略提供参考依据。