As a partner in realizing hydraulic and civil engineering designs, infrastructure and industrial structures, SBE accepts its responsibility in terms of sustainability. The scale of our projects makes them inextricably linked to the surrounding environment. We therefore approach every step of the design process based on a sustainable vision.
The entire construction industry accounts for about one-third of global CO2 emissions. As a multidisciplinary engineering firm, we therefore have a vital responsibility to provide sustainable design solutions that contribute to a better living environment for both current and future generations. The scale of our projects makes them inextricably linked to the surrounding environment. This is precisely why we approach every step of the design process based on a sustainable vision.
In the design process, our primary aim is always life extension and circular use of the existing elements and materials. If a suitable solution is not found along these lines, the use of environmentally friendly materials and a future-proof design, e.g. materials with a high lifespan or attention to dismountability, will be considered.
We perform ECI calculations to make the environmental impact of our designs very tangible and understandable. To determine the ECI (environmental cost indicator), the environmental impact at each stage is calculated using a life cycle assessment (LCA).
The ECI calculation facilitates carefully considered choices at the beginning of the design process in terms of material consumption and energy emissions, among other things. The environmental impact can therefore be minimized by using gravity point analyses and variant studies.
The ECI result also gives you as a client a tool to use sustainability as an evaluation criterion in specification texts.
In addition to the environmental impact through materials used and emissions, SBE also considers the ecological and social aspect of our projects. We do this with our in-house designed SPIRIT (Sustainable Project Indicator to Reduce Impact) tool.
SPIRIT maps the impact of a project across 9 different domains:
This tool is linked to an internal knowledge library, which allows us to pursue the maximum level of sustainability for each project and offer design solutions in an integrated and structured manner. Specific measures are considered, for example, for fauna and flora, limiting earth movement, improving water quality and infiltration, providing new ecological structures, defragmentation, etc.
Curious about what’s happening in the field of sustainability within SBE?
