Navigating the shift towards sustainable digital building permits and building logbooks
Authors/Creators
- 1. Built Environment and Mobility, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Uusimaa, 1000, Finland
- 2. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue 7, CB3 0RB, UK
- 3. Open Geospatial Consortium EU, Seville, Spain
- 4. Human Environment Research (HER), La Salle, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
- 5. School of Engineering, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- 6. CONSTRUCT/Gequaltec, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- 7. Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
- 8. Politehnica University of Timisoara, Timișoara, Timiș County, Romania
- 9. Ghent University, Ghent, Flanders, Belgium
Description
The architecture, engineering, construction, and operation sectors face significant sustainability challenges. Environmentally, it contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion. Socially, it must address issues such as worker safety and community impact. Economically, the sector struggles to balance cost efficiency with sustainable practices. Digital solutions are expected to support sustainable construction. Digital building permits (DBP) and digital building logbooks (DBL) provide examples of digital solutions that support sustainable construction and building management. DBP and DBL are intertwined to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the construction and building management processes. However, research on how DBP and DBL can address sustainability in practice is limited. To address this research gap, this study uses the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an analytical framework for the sustainability of DBP and DBL. The research consisted of four phases. First, an expert group identified and selected the SDGs related to DBP and DBL. Then, the experts identified the relevant targets of the selected SDGs. Subsequently, the expert group specified the DBP and DBL practices that supported the relevant targets. Finally, the expert group organised a workshop with external experts in the study area to verify the practices supporting the SDGs. The study identified DBP and DBL practices contributing to achieving 10 SDGs: 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, and 17. The findings suggest that DBL and DBL practices provide opportunities for environmental, social, and economic sustainability; however, further empirical research is needed. The study concluded that DBP and DBL practices can enhance energy management, reduce carbon emissions, improve resource utilisation, and reduce waste. They also support creating a built environment that is user-friendly and remotely accessible, as well as offering financial benefits and improving efficiency and transparency while minimising errors from human interpretation through automation.
The Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations sector faces several big challenges when it comes to sustainability. Environmentally, it is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and uses up a lot of natural resources. Socially, it needs to ensure worker safety and consider the impact on local communities. Economically, the sector often struggles to find a balance between keeping costs low and adopting sustainable practices.
Digital solutions are seen as a way to help make construction more sustainable. Two examples of these solutions are digital building permits (DBP) and digital building logbooks (DBL). These tools are designed to make the construction process more efficient and transparent. However, there isn't much research on how well these tools actually promote sustainability.
To fill this gap, a study was conducted using the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as an analysis framework. The research was done in four phases. First, experts identified which SDGs were relevant to DBP and DBL. Then, they pinpointed specific targets within those Goals. After that, the experts specified DBP and DBL practices supporting the relevant targets. Finally, a workshop was held to confirm how DBP and DBL practices support these goals.
The study found that DBP and DBL practices contribute to achieving several SDGs, including good health and well-being, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, peace, justice, and strong institutions, and partnerships for the goals. The study concludes that DBP and DBL practices can enhance energy management, reduce carbon emissions, improve resource utilisation and reduce waste. They also support creating a built environment that is user-friendly and remotely accessible, as well as offering financial benefits and improving efficiency and transparency while minimising errors from human interpretation through automation.
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