| Sustainability is one of the most important issues to consider within the construction industry (Dobson, 2013). One way engineers and construction managers are addressing sustainability is by considering efficient energy use. The interest in efficient energy use can be observed throughout the design, construction and operation phases of construction project. With respect to sustainability targets within the construction industry, several concerns regard the following questions: (1) How to control and guide the time, cost and quality of the project; (2) How to improve the life-cycle performance of the project; and (3) How to control the productivity and the workability of the project? These questions underscore the need to implement innovative methods that address the impact sustainability has on economics, energy use, environment, as well as other concerns a construction team may face during the planning and design of precast buildings (Danatzko, 2010). Therefore, this thesis will explain and demonstrate the positive impacts of the sustainability process that will allow the precast concrete project to be considered "green" project without sacrificing cost, time and quality. This thesis will also create an optimization model that incorporates the precast concrete technique to a traditional Cast-In-Place technique, in California and Dubai, as a means to provide a recommended approach for the two distinct environments. The results of this study reveal a hybrid approach that will reduce cost, time with respect to other sustainability considerations. |
