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ASCE Construction Engineering and Management

Design and Construction for Sustainable Industrial Construction

J. K. Yates, M.ASCE

DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000673

Supplemental Data

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

Construction Industry Institute

Research Team 250
Design and Construction for Sustainability in Engineering and Construction Research Project
Sustainability in Engineering and Construction Questionnaire

Company Code

Please complete the questionnaire and return it to the Principal Investigator. The information
provided on this page will be detached from the remainder of the questionnaire and secured for
confidentiality (see the attached Confidentiality Statement for the process used to maintain
confidentiality) and a company code will be added to the survey.

Definition of Sustainable Development and Corporate Sustainability in Construction

For the purpose of the research project the definition for Sustainable Development is
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs” and Corporate Sustainability is defined as “a business approach that creates
long-term shareholder value by embracing opportunities and managing risks deriving from economic,
environmental, and social developments”. The ‘Triple Bottom Line’ (economic, environmental, and social
value) in design and construction includes approaches such as: “design for the Environment, context
sensitive designs, value engineering, life-cycle cost analysis, and Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) certification for building projects. Sustainable construction techniques
include implementing a sustainable design, meeting or exceeding sustainable design specifications,
developing strategies to minimize and reuse construction waste and spoils, optimizing asset efficiency,
and pursuing the highest level of LEED certification possible” (Constantine Samaras, Sustainable
Development and the Construction Industry - Status and Implementation, 2004, Carnegie Mellon p. 1).

INSTRUCTIONS

Please fill in the information based on your experience related to industrial construction projects, their
design, or their development. If you do not know the answers to any of the questions check “Do Not
Know”. For the questions with check boxes click on the appropriate box. If the check boxes are not visible
on your computer put an “X” to the right of the appropriate phrase. To exit a textbox click on the next
textbox or another item.

Part I General Company Information:

1. Name:

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2. Division/Department:

3. Job Title/Position:

4. Name of Firm:

5. Address of Firm:

6. Phone Number:

Everything above this point will be removed from the survey to maintain confidentiality.
Company Code

7. Major Products/Services:

8. Industry (Check all that apply)

Industrial Con. Commercial Residential
Heavy/Highway Building Institutional
Mining/Metals Petrochemicals Gas Production
Power Utilities Pulp and Paper
Manufacturing Heavy/Highway

9. Type of Company: Private Government

10. Type of Firm: Owner Supplier Contractor Architecture

Engineering Design/Build Other (Please State)

11. What percentage of work is performed in the following manner?

Lump Sum Unit Price Cost Plus a % Fee

Cost Plus a Fee

12. Countries of

Operation:

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13. Nature of Ownership/Legal Structure:

Sole Proprietorship Employee-Owned

Corporation Publically Traded Privately Held
Partnership Do Not Know N/A or Other

14. Size of company: $ Volume: $ 0-$10 million $10-$50 million

$50-$100 million $100 - $500 million
$500 million-$1 billion $1 billion
15. Average Number of Projects Per Year:

1–5 5 – 10 10 – 20 20 – 30 30 – 40 40 – 50

16. Average size of projects installed cost: $1 – $10 million $10 – $50 million
$50 - $100 million $100 - 500 million
$500 mill. - $1 bill. Over $1 billion

17. Average Number of Engr./Con. Man Hours Per Project:

1,000 to 5,000 5,000 – 10,000 10,000 – 50,000

50,000 to 100,000 100,000 – 500,000 500,000 – 1,000,000
1,000,000 to 5,000,000 5,000,000 – 1 billion Over 1 billion

18. Number of employees: 0-100 100-500

500-1,000 1,000-5,000
5,000-10,000 10,000 to 50,000
Over 50,000

Part II – Corporate Level Sustainability Information Please select the choice that best describes the
approach of the firm to each question:

1. Are environmental considerations and impacts included in the design documents for projects?
Yes If Yes, on what percentage of projects?
No Do Not Know
Are the considerations due to regulatory compliance or other measures "beyond compliance"?
Regulatory Compliance Beyond Compliance Measures

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2. Is environmental sustainability considered when determining the expected project life cycle of a capital
project including ultimate disposal and dismantling?
Yes If Yes, on what percentage of projects?
No Do Not Know

If Yes, please provide examples of environmental sustainability considerations

that are included in life cycle analysis.

3. Are environmental and sustainability social issues evaluated that could impact the successful
completion of a project?
Yes If Yes, on what percentage of projects?
No Do Not Know
If Yes, when are sustainability social issues evaluated and how?
4. Is a structured approach used when considering project design and material alternatives that includes
sustainability considerations?
Yes No Do Not Know
What types of alternatives are considered?

5. Does the firm have a corporate strategy on sustainability (overall corporate sustainability program)?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, please briefly describe the corporate sustainability strategy.

If No, will one be established in the future?

Yes No Do Not Know

6. What are potential barriers to implementing a successful industrial construction sustainability program?
(Check all that apply)
Capital cost concerns Potential barrier to competitiveness
Not required by regulations Not sure how to do it or measure it
Need a practical implementation plan Not sure if it will be profitable
Need to show a positive rate of return Other (Please List Below)

7. What are the drivers to the implementation of sustainability development in the Industrial Construction
Sector? (Check all that apply)
Owners NonGovernmental Organizations
Government Public Awareness of Sustainability Issues
Media Competitive Differentiation
Profit Quality of Life for Future Generations
Other (Please List Below)

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8. Do owners provide sustainability guidelines that are followed by the firm during the design and
construction of industrial construction projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
9. Does the firm participate in corporate Global Reporting Initiatives (GRI)?
Yes No Do Not Know
10. Does the firm belong to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)?
Yes No Do Not Know
11. Has the firm implemented the ISO 14,000 series of environmental management standards and
received certification to them?
A. Implemented ISO 14,000 Not Implemented ISO 14,000
Do Not Know N/A
B. Certified to ISO 14,000 Not Certified to ISO 14,000
Do Not Know N/A

Part III - Project Level Sustainability Information

1. On what percentage, or what number of projects, has the firm implemented sustainable development
policies?

Percentage Number Do Not Know

2. On projects that are managed by the firm what procedures or actions are implemented related to
sustainable development?

3. What are the benefits in terms of social, reputation, or economics that resulted from implementing
sustainability practices? Do Not Know

4. Has the firm benefited economically from implementing sustainability development practices?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, please describe the economic benefits to implementing sustainability development
practices.
If No, please describe what other benefits the firm has gained by adopting sustainability
development practices.

5. What specific technologies have been implemented during the construction of projects to reduce
energy use during construction? Do Not Know

6. What processes are being used to recycle unused materials at the end of construction projects?
Do Not Know
7. Are any processes being used to sell, or reuse, the material byproducts generated during the
construction of industrial projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe the processes.
8. Are any local social conditions addressed during the construction of projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, which social conditions and how are they being addressed during construction?

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9. Are sustainable alternatives to standard materials considered during the design stage of construction
projects (examples of standard materials: concrete, steel, PVC piping, asphalt, wood, paint, etc) to
improve life cycle environmental costs of industrial construction projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If yes, explain what types of alternatives are considered and why they are considered during
design.

10. Does the firm have any standard techniques for measuring the benefits achieved by using sustainable
practices on construction projects? (Examples: measuring effluent run-off or measuring noise levels by
decibels) Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes what are examples of the types of techniques being used on projects.

11. Are any new sustainability techniques being implemented during construction that improve resource
efficiency such as labor efficiency, equipment efficiency, material resource efficiency, or the training of
laborers (Examples: moving soil to a spoil pile on site rather than off-site to reduce energy usage in
construction heavy equipment)?
Yes If Yes, describe the techniques below.
No Do Not Know
12. Are any innovative designs, construction components, or construction practices being integrated into
projects that include sustainable components?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes what are some examples of the innovative designs, construction components, and
construction practices?

13. Is the firm prequalifying vendors and suppliers on their sustainability practices or social responsibility
practices?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe the criteria used to prequalify vendors and suppliers.

14. Are there any government regulations that relate to sustainability practices that are being followed by
the firm on industrial construction projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, list significant regulations followed on construction projects?

15. Are any renewable energy sources being used during the construction of industrial projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe which types of renewable energy sources are being used on projects.

16. Are there any techniques, processes, or materials that are being used during construction to reduce
the amount of waste being generated during industrial construction projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe the types of techniques used to reduce waste generation.

17. Is more construction waste being recycled into other construction materials, or materials that are
reused for other purposes, than on construction projects built before sustainability practices were
implemented on projects?
Yes No Do Not Know

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If Yes, describe how the wastes are being recycled or reused as other materials.

18. Are any techniques being implemented on construction projects to reduce the amount of pollution
generated during construction? (Examples: noise, dust control, or traffic congestion)
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe the types of techniques used to reduce pollution.

19. What types of engineering design practices or standards are actively incorporating sustainability
practices? Do Not Know Top of Form
20. Do mobilization, or demobilization, processes used by the firm include sustainability practices?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe some of the sustainability processes used during mobilization and
demobilization.

21. Does the firm include sustainability considerations during constructability reviews?
Yes No Do Not Know
22. Do project execution plans (construction management plans) include a section on sustainability
practices?
Yes No Do Not Know
23. Does the firm have a method for measuring metrics (quantifying the achievement of sustainable
development) that relate to sustainability objectives that are used on construction projects?
Yes No Do Not Know
If Yes, describe the techniques for measuring metrics.

Part IV If there is any additional information you would like to provide that was not covered in the
interview please list it below. Are you willing to participate in a phone interview if further clarification is
required for the answers you have provided in the survey? Yes No

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