CIVIL ENGINEERING DESIGN PROJECT

SITE VISIT REPORT

INTRODUCTION What is The Green Building Index? The Green Building Index (GBI) is Malaysias industry recognised green rating tool for buildings to promote sustainability in the built environment and raise awareness among Developers, Architects, Engineers, Planners, Designers, Contractors and the Public about environmental issues and our responsibility to the future generations. The GBI rating tool provides an opportunity for developers and building owners to design and construct green, sustainable buildings that can provide energy savings, water savings, a healthier indoor environment, better connectivity to public transport and the adoption of recycling and greenery for their projects and reduce our impact on environment. GBI is developed specifically for the Malaysian-tropical climate, environmental and developmental context, cultural and social needs and is created to:

Define green buildings by establishing a common language and standard of measurement; Promote integrated, whole-building designs that provides a better environment for all; Recognise and reward environmental leadership; Transform the built environment to reduce its negative environmental impact Ensure new buildings remain relevant in the future and existing buildings are refurbished and upgraded to improve the overall quality of our building stock.

CASE STUDY We have decided to pay a visit on a site as my case study which is in Subang Jaya. There is a flat located in Bandar Sunway named as Lagoon Perdana.we found out that the flat has too many environment problems and the design of the building in terms of architectural is not environmental friendly. So these are the photos of the site.

DESIGN TOWARDS ENVIRONMENT & GREEN TECHNOLOGY Solar energy is a radiant heat source that causes natural processes upon which all life depends. Some of the natural processes can be managed through building design in a manner that helps heat and cool the building. The basic natural processes that are used in passive solar energy are the thermal energy flows associated with radiation, conduction, and natural convection. When sunlight strikes a building, the building materials can reflect, transmit, or absorb the solar radiation. Additionally, the heat produced by the sun causes air movement that can be predictable in designed spaces. These basic responses to solar heat lead to design elements, material choices and placements that can provide heating and cooling effects in a home. Passive solar energy means that mechanical means are not employed to utilize solar energy. Passive solar systems rules of thumb: The building should be elongated on an east-west axis. The buildings south face should receive sunlight between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M. (sun time) during the heating season. Interior spaces requiring the most light and heating and cooling should be along the south face of the building. Less used spaces should be located on the north. An open floor plan optimizes passive system operation. Use shading to prevent summer sun entering the interior. Passive solar design refers to the use of the suns energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and air created by exposure to the sun. Passive systems are simple, have few moving parts, and require minimal maintenance and require no mechanical systems. The goal of all passive solar heating systems is to capture the suns heat within the buildings elements and release that heat during periods when the sun is not shining. At the same time that the buildings elements (or materials) is absorbing heat for later use, solar heat is available for keeping the space comfortable (not overheated). South facing glass Thermal mass to absorb, store, and distribute heat

GREEN WALL Due to the hot temperature and noise that come from surrounding the areas , green wall is one of the vegetation element that can be used to reduce the problem. Here are the benefits of the green wall . First ,the well design of the green wall and maintained Green Wall can significantly enhance a buildings appearance .Whether its to add a new aesthetic dimension, disguise a car park, refresh a tired faade or add colour and texture to a complete wall or section. As from the picture above the existing building , green wall systems also help to protect a buildings faade and extend its life, acting as an effective shield to heavy rain and hail and helping to protect from the damaging effects of UV light. Second , the used of the green wall on appropriate place can regulate the temperature and reduce the carbon footprint also can reduce energy cost because with that , the temperature inside will cooler so you no need too often open air conditioner. Besides that, Lagoon Perdana is located in the middle of construction area , green wall can improve the air quality surrounding the area by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen, and trapping dust and other pollutants . Furthermore it also can reduce noise by adding a layer of insulation (both thermal and acoustic) green walls absorb sound - making a positive impact for both the buildings occupants and the local environment.

This element also can be a decoration aspect surrounding this area.

LOUVERS Vertical or horizontal louvers are basically built to work like the traditional ones which simply allow fresh air from the atmosphere to penetrate into a given building while at the same time they prevent unwanted elements from penetrating. Louvers are also able to regulate the temperatures that exist in a given building. It is however also true that louvers are not all built to serve the purposes that have been mentioned above. Nowadays there are indeed those Louvers that have been designed to simply improve the dcor of a particular place. There are many type of louvers material nowadays. We can choose which one is the best based on our budget and our design. Stainless steel is very good material for louvers. These are usually very long lasting and offer great hygiene because they hardly to get stained or corroded. The vertical of horizontal louvers that are made using wooden materials are also very good in performance and decor enhancement. It is also important for to choose louvers according to their sizes because there are different rooms or space that may require small or larger sized louvers.

WATER ELEMENT The parking space of Lagoon Perdana are too many and the humidity in this area is high. Swimming pool is needed and still can be putted in this apartment area in order to reduce the hot temperature because of the sunlight and the lack of vegetation surroundings, and also can add more facilities to the building. The swimming pool area can also be the place for the residents to gather. Remaining of the space existed, the swimming area no needs to be so big, but have included the divider between the parking lot and the swimming area, the access, and also the sitting area. To save space, changing and shower room are not needed, remain that almost all the swimmer are the residents, so they can change and take bath in their own units. Lagoon Perdana is located at the strategic area, which is very near to the main highways. There are also about three constructions going on around the apartment area as well. This is where the noise pollution occurs. The noisy noise of the construction and the traffic sound from the highways are going to distract the residents and for some residents, it is hard for them to sleep at night.

SOUNDPROOF DRYWALL Soundproof drywall is a type of drywall engineered to block the travel of sound between one room and another. Soundproof drywall is similar to the regular drywall that is used in construction around the world; the only difference is that soundproof drywall contains additional layers that are designed to absorb sound. Soundproof drywall can be used in the construction of walls, ceilings, or floors.

The purpose of soundproof drywall is to block sound waves from traveling through the soundproofed wall, ceiling, or floor, by absorbing the sound waves, or noise, a process referred to as noise absorption. The process of noise absorption is also called damping, and damping is accomplished by adding density and layers to structure conducting the sound, thereby adding disconnection points between one side of the structure and the other. Subsequently, these disconnection points serve to impede the path of the sound wave, thus preventing the sound from becoming airborne and audible on the other side of the soundproofed structure, whether it is a wall, ceiling, or floor.

Soundproof drywall can be used in various types of structures, such as professional and home recording studios, multi-family residential structures, conference rooms, or any other place where noise reduction is necessary. For example, soundproof drywall is often used in the construction of recording studios where music is played, mixed, and recorded, to prevent the sound from escaping from the recording studio and disturbing the surrounding businesses and residences. Similarly, soundproof drywall is also a component in the construction of vocal recording booths within recording studios. However, in this case, the purpose of the soundproof drywall is not only to prevent the sound from traveling out, but more so to prevent extraneous sound from traveling into the booth. This ensures that the final professional recording does not include any street noises or random sounds emanating from other parts of the building

CONCLUSION This report has discussed the issue of sustainability in construction and affordable housing situating these within practical and pressing context of Malaysia.It reviewed literature elated to sustainable development,construction and affordable housing in general and the unique challenges of green building in the context of Malaysia.The green affordability in Malaysia is thus justified as vital.Specific infrastructure,funding,lack of awareness,lack of skills,time and cost were presented as challenges in integrating the concept.However,the effort of Malaysian government and private sectors through several initiatives should be appreciated immensely.The Malaysian construction industry and stakeholders would benefits from new ideas,experiences,and research from this study.Green building are extremely complex system and solutions to the challenges require integrated approach.Therefore,it is expected that stakeholders will look inward and fully engage in greater synergy on the future of sustainable housing affordability for Malaysian.

REFERENCE

http://www.greenbuildingindex.org/ Residential Construction in Malaysia to 2017 Mark Bharat Book Bureau www.planetunderpressure2012.net/abstracts/D2030805 http:/www.bem.org.my/v3/body/pdf/einforeach/2009/dec09.pdf

10