Greening in Progress So You Really Didn’t Know That Sustainable Construction Needs Reliable Site Data?

Construction productivity and sustainability are deeply intertwined. Unfortunately, the industry has a problem with both.

A powerful synergy between Lean construction methods and data-driven insights may be the antidote we are all waiting for. Leading to better on-site efficiency, objective data sourced from site and combined with new processes and materials can reduce carbon emissions and waste by a remarkable 90%. That’s not just changing the game, that’s setting a new one. 

Our Carbon Footprint Wake-Up Call

The construction industry holds one of the largest carbon footprints, contributing almost 6 billion tons of CO2 annually. That’s a hefty 23% of all global emissions over the past decade. Undoubtedly, this makes the sector an area for immediate action, investment, and innovations to promote short and long-term energy security. 

So, What Actions Can Be Taken And How Can Technology Lend A Helping Hand?

Integrating Lean principles with cutting-edge construction technology and novel materials, leveraging actionable data, can yield a remarkable 90% reduction in resource waste and project life cycle emissions. This marks a transformative shift we cannot ignore, where real-time site data becomes pivotal for tackling productivity losses that, in return, negatively impact our environment. 
Without data, Lean has been showcased to minimize emissions, ranging from 18–24% per building project. That’s not bad either – but it is evident that the integration of tools such as advanced progress tracking and AI comes as a game-changer.

Heading Into Construction 4.0 – Leaving All The Waste Behind

Solving chronic operational issues such as badly timed deliveries, unnecessary demolitions, and never-ending return visits is paramount if we want to work more sustainably, collaboratively, and efficiently. Efficiency—that is, delivering structures that minimize resource usage while optimizing operational performance—is likely to become key to sustainable construction. 

But boosting project performance in order to reduce carbon emissions with the help of lean principles needs accurate data. Our metrics have to be fed with objective information directly from the site itself. Pull planning needs up-to-date insights. Without dependable data, lean principles are toothless tigers, ready to pounce but lacking impact. It's time to refine construction management in the name of productivity and the environment.

Franziska Knupper
Content Marketing Specialist

Franziska, German-born content specialist and former foreign correspondent reporting from Norway, France, and Canada. Joined the Buildots family two years ago, contributing to enablement and marketing.