Chemical solutions

The construction chemicals industry has its role to play towards a sustainable built environment, even more so as new green regulations are codified.

It's not often you hear the words "green," "construction" and "chemicals" in the same sentence. But with the push towards sustainable construction taking place on a global scale, the industry will, over the coming years, grow much more familiar with such a combination.

Dubai's forthcoming sustainability regulations, to be announced at the Big 5 exhibition on November 24 and coming into force effective January 1 represent a big step towards a more complete understanding of the principles of sustainable construction.

Developers and contractors will have to learn, whether they want to or not. This is the difference in behaviour inspired by regulations as opposed to mere guidelines, which the industry has been, well, guided by until now.

Construction chemicals represent one important area in which developers will be able to improve the sustainability ratings of their buildings, so assisting them to achieve the required degree of sustainability.

Put simply, green chemistry is about the design and application of processes and products that reduce, and if possible eliminate, the use of hazardous substances.

Prevention

Rather than the consumer beginning the process of protecting the natural environment through their behaviour, green chemistry seeks to reduce the use of pollutants at source, so preventing environmental damage before it has a chance to happen. The best form of waste disposal is not to create waste in the first place.

Brian Davies is president and CEO of X-Calibur International, based in Dubai. The firm supplies specialist construction products to the region and further afield through its international subsidiaries. It recently supplied environmentally friendly sealers to the Burj Dubai.

The company received the finest of endorsements when it was called on to help reduce the environmental impact of the new Washington DC headquarters of the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the organisation that administers the globally recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (Leed) system.

X-Calibur International will supply the flooring within the 12-storey building, which is being refurbished to Leed Platinum standard - the highest rung on the Leed ladder.

"The USGBC was determined to lead by example," Davies says. "In order to minimise the removal of existing concrete and therefore reduce the amount of material going to landfill, it was decided to install a cement overlay of the entire floor area."

Regulations

Closer to home, Davies agrees that the green building regulations in Dubai will have a substantial effect on the chemicals industry, though not necessarily on the way X-Calibur International conducts its business, which is already in position to supply a more environmental savvy industry.

"We know that over time, the big chemical companies will stop making hazardous stuff and there won't be a choice. And if there's volume for green construction chemicals, which there will be, the costs come down," he says.

The Leed system was designed originally for application in the US. It has been applied by many other nations to fill the void where no green building code exists.

After its introduction in the UAE, USGBC spokesperson Ashley Katz said, "The UAE is one of the fastest growing countries in its development of environmentally friendly solutions, and the use of the Leed rating system will make the country a leader in green building and sustainability."

But over time the need for Dubai's own code arose due to the need for regulations to be sensitive to regional conditions.

Dubai has in fact become so familiar with the Leed name that some unscrupulous operators have began to misinterpret the meaning.

"Many manufacturers run around saying they are Leed compliant, but to my knowledge - and I know Leed very well - they don't have a product certification scheme," says Davies.

"All that we can do as suppliers is align our products so that they contribute the maximum points towards Leed certification."

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