1. The Impact of Construction on the Environment
ECON 2505, Wed By Elliot Raskin Prof. Sean Macdonald

2. What I Will Be Covering Effect on the Local Environment
Effect due to Material Processing
Effect due to Increased Area Access

3. Effect on the Local Environment
Researchers from UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) identified 37 environmental classifications They were organized into 9 categories
Ex. Air emissions includes GHG emissions as well as Volatile organic compound & Chloroflurocarbon emissions
Air emissions Water Spills Waste Generation Soil Pollution Resource Consumption
Local Impacts Transportation Impacts Biodiversity Impacts Emergency situations & incidents

4. Effect on the Local Environment Pt.2
Brooklyn Bridge Park development: Pictured: The construction of condos in Brooklyn Bridge Park In order to lay the foundation, the site needed to be dewatered. Water stored, then discharged into East river/treatment
Upside: 20 of the 33 acres between Piers 1 & 6 were naturally landscaped into wood & swamplands for local species
9/2009
6/2010
3/2012
9/2015
6/2014
10/2014

5. Effect due to Material Processing Pt.1
Production Of Materials:
Concrete: 93 million metric tons of concrete produced in the USA alone in The vast majority of it is used in construction
Worldwide concrete production is responsible for 5% of CO2 emissions
Producing one ton (.42 m3) of concrete requires; 126 kg of cement 315 kg of sand 454 kg of Macadam (evenly broken stone)

6. Effect due to Material Processing Pt.2
Production: Steel
40% of all steel produced in the USA is used in the construction industry
Producing one ton of steel requires Blast furnace/ basic oxygen furnace; 1.6 tons of iron ore .6 tons of coal .21 tons of scrap steel
Electric Arc Furnace; .85 tons of scrap steel .31 tons of steel scrap supplements

7. Effect due to Material Processing Pt.2
Transport of Materials:
Distance traveled changes based on relative rarity of resources The energy cost of transporting materials ranges from MJ/ton/km
Thus, each ton of material that isn’t locally produced represents a massive energy investment in it’s transportation costs alone.
Material composition and refinement is a strongly demand driven business
Local aggregates seldom used in construction outside of rural or non-1st world regions

8. Effect due to Material Processing Pt.3
Disposal of Materials:
The American Institute of Architects estimates that anywhere from 25-40% of the national solid waste stream is building-related.
Only 20% of the construction & demolition waste/debris is recycled.
2003: Construction waste estimated at 164 million tons 9% construction waste 38% renovation waste 53% demolition debris
Most common C&D waste products are; lumber, drywall, metal, masonry, and others
These represent a huge energy loss in their disposal

9. Effect due to Increased Area Access
When roads are laid through jungle, they open up the jungle to exploitation by colonists, loggers, miners, and other fortune- seekers.
Other effects of roads are;
Increased risk of forest fires Increased flooding & soil erosion Discharge of pollutants and other chemicals into local bodies of water Disruption of wildlife movement
“A satellite view of deforestation associated with roads in the Brazilian Amazon.”

10. Bibliography Pt.1
NYC.gov. (n.d.). About BBP (Project Development) - Brooklyn Bridge Park. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from
Taileb, A., Dr. , Dekkiche, H. Dr. (2013, November 5). LIFE-CYCLE ASSESMENT OF LEED GOLD BUILDING WITH ALTERNATIVE EXTERNAL WALLS:. Retrieved April 20, 2016, from
Plataforma SINC. (2009, February 18). Environmental Impact Of Building Construction Can Now Be Predicted. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 15, 2016 from
W., Laurance. (2012, January 19). As Roads Spread in Rainforests, The Environmental Toll Grows. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
Calculation of the amount of cement, sand and gravel for making concrete. (2007). Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
A. (2008, July). Construction Waste Management Strategies. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from

11. Bibliography Pt.2
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) - Brooklyn Bridge Park. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
W. (2014, October). Steel Industry by-products Fact Sheet. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
Steelmaking Raw materials: Market & policy developments. (2012, June 01). Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
Wilson, M. (2015, July 1). Industry Outlook: Steel. Retrieved May 23, 2016, from
Miller, A. J. (n.d.). Energy Implications of the Transportation of Building Materials. Retrieved May 24, 2016, from