How to plan, build and maintain the built environment so that the environmental burden of construction is lightened? The KESY project brought together the main principles of sustainable environmental construction.
Text: Anu Ginström | Photo: Seppo Närhi
The Sustainable Environmental Construction (KESY) project brings together the means to reduce the environmental harm of construction.
The project is led by a landscape architect Emilia Weckman. MMM Hanna Tajakka Viher-Arkista works as a consultant and general secretary of the Green Environment Association Seppo Närhi as secretary of the steering group.
Where would the group start to curb the harm? In the construction phase, the most important thing is to at least minimize transport distances, because they create the greatest environmental burden during construction.
"Already at the plan level, new construction areas should be planned so that there is space reserved for temporary storage of materials and excavated materials generated on the construction site at the construction site or in the immediate vicinity," Seppo Närhi gives an example.
"Furthermore, even in new and renovated areas, it is important to protect the areas to be saved from breaking the ground surface and soil compaction. This also includes protecting the root areas of vegetation with, for example, protective fences."
Construction also causes noise and emissions. What would help them?
"We choose the most suitable machines and equipment for the work site and use - if possible - machines with a low noise level. In the coming years, electric motors will become more common in many work machines and devices, which will reduce noise and emissions. The machines must also be serviced regularly," Närhi sums up.
Biotopes and stormwater as a concern
Hanna Tajakka reminds that construction can also destroy or spoil the growth environments of animals and plants, i.e. biotopes.
"Biotopes are protected by directing construction and Site activities during construction to areas that have already been compacted, excavated or otherwise treated. Sufficient protective distances from the construction site must be defined for areas in a natural state," states Hanna Tajakka.
"Disadvantages are also prevented by cleaning and diverting stormwater during construction away from the surroundings of the construction area. In particular, the entry of harmful substances and fine matter into areas in a natural state must be avoided."
Emilia Weckman reminds that the organic treatment of stormwater also requires space reservations already in land use planning. The importance of planning only increases as climate extremes become more common.
"Solutions that are tightly built and contain hard, impermeable surfaces cause, for example, urban floods, which in turn cause damage to infrastructure. The formation of stormwater in built-up areas is reduced with natural, above-ground solutions. These can include retention basins in street or green areas, rain gardens, ponds, wetlands, filter strips and solutions suitable for water management such as green embankments, channels, gutters, ditches and storm water troughs. These should be used wherever possible," says Weckman.
Even the land developer can make a difference
Land developers also have their machine buckets in play when the environmental impact of construction is reduced. The temporary storage of materials and soil must be even more precise, and waste affecting stormwater must be minimized.
"On the construction site, it is essential to sort the soil materials generated during construction, both topsoil and subsoil, and use them to their advantage. In the future, topsoil will probably be used to prepare the growing medium at the construction site. By favoring local products, transportation is reduced. During construction, it is necessary to make sure that soil does not flow into the environment and especially into waterways," says Seppo Närhi.
For Närhi, the most important lesson of the KESY project was that a sustainable operating method will only become more common if the customer demands it. The customer must also ensure that at every stage of the process, from planning to maintenance, the set goals are met.
Although it was known that sustainable development is a multifaceted issue, Hanna Tajakka was a little surprised by how sustainable operations are built from different blocks, even in the green and infra sectors.
"Each construction project can be a KESY project in a different way. It is also surprising that often in sustainable operations it can be very simple solutions that are simply ignored because we are used to doing things in a certain way."
Tajakka emphasizes that in addition to the client's KESY expertise and willingness, it is important that KESY issues are included in the industry's quality requirements and work instructions.
"In this way, they will most certainly be transferred to the use of all operators. The goal is that in a few years there will be no separate talk about green and infrastructure projects according to KESY, but the operating method would be basic oats: generally agreed and required. We are clearly heading in that direction. Several cities in Finland and worldwide already guide construction with KESY principles."
If you're in trouble, tell us your concerns
The desire to create the KESY model came from the field, and there has been enough interest and enthusiasm. It confused Emilia Weckman at the beginning that the desire for change was not immediately found everywhere.
"Some are sitting in the potteria and are worried about the change. We need to reach out to these actors as well and hear their concerns. It's not about coercive measures, but here we create a target space for a change in operations. I personally learned here that attitude changes take time."
A small group of people are already working from their own starting point with the principles of sustainable environmental construction, and it's nothing new for them.
"In order for the method of operation to expand to the entire field, changes to legislation, regulations and work instructions are needed. The Mara Decree shows that we have already come a long way.”
KESY – The operating model for sustainable environmental construction was published in April 2018 >
The story was previously published in Infra magazine 1/2018
The magazine is a member benefit of INFRA members >