This paper contains a STEEP (Social, Technological, Environmental, Economical and Political) analysis of the implications on sustainability in construction. The STEEP analysis will be based on 5 different peer-reviewed journals that I have read on each area of STEEP. These journals will be cross examined and compared to one another to see if there is any correlation between them. Firstly I will talk about each journal and summarize what it is about; I will then try and relate the journals to each other in some way.If one journal cannot be related to any of the others, I will state this in my conclusion and provide a reason why there is no connection or relationship between that specific journal and the others. The journals that I have chosen to cross examine have been chosen at random from the Science Direct database.
The key words that I used for my searches were; one of the STEEP analysis categories followed by ‘implications on sustainability in construction’. My aim is to try and relate each journal to as many of the other 4 journals in terms of sustainability in construction.Social sustainability in construction-‘Integrating sustainable development and public health on the island of Ireland’ (Wilde, Jane Boydell, Leslie Rugkasa, Jorun, 2006) This paper talks about the current policies that both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland practice in terms of sustainable development and health; are they working and if not, how they will be made to work? The paper begins with a quotation published in the Irish times back in 2005, stating how much investment is planned over the next 10 years by both governments (i. e. North and South) and that the investment should be focused on economic and social development.The inefficiencies are highlighted first of all with sustainable development strategies and policies in the Republic of Ireland in 1997 and 2002.
The paper then goes on to explain how farmers contributed to sub-urbanisation by selling off their land as there was a depression in agriculture in 2002 and that the government was putting huge investment in roads and insufficient funds were put towards public transport.Northern Ireland’s sustainable development strategies and policies are discussed next, how the environment has been at the bottom of the investment list, and that change is coming about with the newly proposed Sustainable Development Strategy due to come in on May 2006. The agenda of this strategy is explained and priority areas are listed, but the paper goes on to explain that unless all government policies are engaged, then this strategy will not work.The link between sustainable development and health is then explained and that it doesn’t make sense to have one without the other. This link is then explained by talking about the public health strategy in Northern Ireland which ties in with ‘the Northern Ireland Fuel Poverty Strategy’ (Department of Social Development; 2004).
The two are related because the health of those who had no money for fuel deteriorated because they had to live in cold and damp dwellings with mould on the walls.The Author’s feel that in order to promote sustainable health and development in the island of Ireland, an integrated approach is essential which would mean that those working in Public health organisations must work along with those from environmental health. Technological sustainability in construction- ‘Indicator based sustainability assessment tool for affordable housing construction technologies’ (H. Wallbaum? , Y. Ostermeyer, C. Salzer, E.
Zea Escamilla, 2012) This paper firstly talks about the increase in demand for affordable sustainable housing.We all know that sustainable developments are the way forward, but achieving sustainability is not that easy. The problems and challenges faced with developing sustainable housing are highlighted by the Author. In order to create a sustainable building, the choice of correct building technologies is essential.
An examination takes place for 75 different technologies used in construction and 46 of them are ranked and put through various assessments to find out which technologies are best suitable for use in developing a sustainable home.A life cycle analysis of the ‘suitable’ technologies then carried out to see if they provide value for money over its expected lifespan. The paper concludes that the best performing technologies were bio-based products and synthetic or industrial products. Even though we now know the best technologies to use when building a sustainable home, when you look at the bigger picture and take everything into account particularly that of the costs involved, ‘there is no perfect solution to the sustainable affordable housing problem’.
