Sustainable Construction Methods and Their Benefits

Sustainable construction methods are essential to reducing the industry’s impact on the environment and will play a pivotal role in tackling the climate crisis. The construction industry has often come under fire for its environmental impact – with high consumption of non-renewable materials, wastage of materials to landfill, contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and release of pollutants by certain construction processes topping the list of criticisms. 

As the industry increasingly adopts the use of more sustainable construction practices, this is a significant contributor to accelerating the global green transition. Many commercially savvy companies are also realising that construction techniques that save materials and reduce embodied carbon can lead to cost savings and shorter project timelines. This understanding will act as a catalyst for further change.

This guide explores a range of sustainable construction methods your company could consider,  outlining seven principles of sustainability in construction. It shows how you can demonstrate the value added using the three pillars – economic, environmental, and social sustainability. Read on to discover how to apply these frameworks to your projects and how to overcome key challenges you’ll face along the way. 

Looking for something in particular? Use the links below to navigate straight to it:

• What is sustainability in construction?
• The importance of sustainable construction practices
• How sustainable construction methods add value: the three pillars
• Sustainable construction focus areas: the seven principles
• The challenges of sustainability in construction
• Sustainable construction case study: Whitelee Wind Farm
  
  

Apply a sustainable design approach with our free geotechnical design software, Tensar+, or get in touch to find out how we can help you implement more sustainable construction methods on your next project.

What is sustainability in construction?

Sustainability in construction is about designing, constructing, and operating buildings and infrastructure in ways that prioritise minimising environmental impact. This can be achieved through the use of renewable and recyclable resources and materials, lowering energy consumption, and reducing waste where possible. 

Adopting more sustainable construction methods won’t just have a positive environmental impact; your organisation can also achieve economic and social sustainability. Operational costs can be reduced by managing resources effectively and using energy-efficient materials and processes, offering more cost-effective alternatives to traditional methods. At the same time, sustainability-focused construction projects can drive employment for local communities while improving wellbeing through the creation of better environments.

Practical example of sustainable construction

Tensar can help you work towards using sustainable construction methods in your next project by minimising material use in the construction process. We can ensure all resources are considered while reducing your carbon footprint. 

Tensar’s eco-friendly geosynthetics have applications across a range of areas, including:

• Foundations and embankments
• Road and highway construction
• Railway trackbed improvement
• Reinforced slopes and walls
• Working platforms
  
  

The importance of sustainable construction practices

Transitioning to sustainable construction practices will be vital in the fight against climate change. As the UN Environment Programme reported in 2022, construction activities contribute 21% of global greenhouse gas emissions. They’re also responsible for 34% of global energy and 37% of process-related carbon emissions. Read on to discover how adopting more sustainable approaches to construction can help you play your part, whilst also adding value to your business.

Protecting the environment

Sustainable construction practices limit environmental impact and contribute to environmental preservation. Construction plant and the transportation of products usually create high levels of fossil fuel consumption, while the production, processing and transportation of raw materials contribute to a high level of embodied carbon. Solutions such as Tensar geogrids can help reduce the amount of materials and equipment needed in construction projects, generating time, cost and carbon savings. 

Taylor Wimpey’s Riverside Housing Development gave Tensar the challenge of finding a solution for a piling platform over poorly compacted backfill above deep sewers. Tensar utilised its T-Value method, using Tensar geogrids to mechanically stabilise the working platform’s aggregate, reducing its thickness by 60% with no reduction in platform bearing capacity or on load transfer efficiency. Embodied carbon emissions were reduced by 45%. This is just one example of how sustainable infrastructure solutions incorporating geosynthetics can contribute towards a lower carbon future – all while helping you meet sustainability targets. 

The Riverside Housing Development adopted sustainable design using Tensar’s T-Value method and Tensar geogrids to mechanically stabilise working platforms, reducing carbon emissions by 45%.

Reducing costs

One of the key benefits of turning to sustainable construction practices is the potential for significant cost savings. For instance, businesses across the construction industry are making the switch to use more recycled aggregates for road foundations and structural fill. You can reduce procurement costs in this way as there’s no need to source expensive primary aggregates, and transport expenses will be lower if site-won materials can be used.

Saving time

The challenge of moving towards sustainable construction encourages designers and contractors to make changes to familiar construction methods and adopt new approaches. A beneficial by-product of certain sustainable construction methods is the amount of time saved. In road construction, for example, optimised pavement designs incorporating geogrid stabilised layers can help companies to produce more durable, long-lasting roads whilst meeting sustainability targets – all in a shorter timespan. Geogrid-enhanced pavement designs are typically thinner, reducing aggregate volume, excavation, and transportation requirements, minimising project timelines and bringing completion dates forward.

The Sleaford Household Waste Centre project shows the time-saving benefits of sustainable construction in action. Lincolnshire County Council incorporated Tensar geogrids into the recycled aggregate capping and subbase layers of a pavement design, reducing the overall pavement thickness. This meant that extensive excavation of the weak underlying soils was avoided, and reduced volumes of aggregate and asphalt needed to be transported, placed and compacted, cutting construction time.
Sleaford Household Waste Centre cut project times by reducing pavement thickness, meaning less aggregate and asphalt needed to be placed and compacted.

Adapting to climate change

As climate change drives more extreme weather events and natural disasters, construction projects must be designed with the resilience to withstand these conditions. 

Road construction is another apt example here. Improved road service life can be achieved by using sustainable construction methods, minimising the number of roads and pavements that need maintenance work due to degradation from freeze-thaw weathering or from changing subgrade strength due to increases in moisture content. Avoiding this kind of damage is crucial for longer lasting roads and pavements, preventing cracking in the roads, which could lead to the formation of potholes. 

Tensar geogrids can strengthen and improve the bearing capacity of roads and traffic areas by mechanically stabilising the road's foundation. Not only can this reduce regular maintenance costs, but the geogrid stabilisation also increases the durability of the roads, enabling them to cope with changing weather conditions. 

The FARRS project used Tensar geogrids to stabilise the road's foundation, enhancing resilience while improving the road service life by an average of 60%.

How sustainable construction methods add value: the three pillars

As your organisation looks to implement more sustainable construction methods, there are three benefit areas of sustainability to consider – the three pillars of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental impact. Read on to learn how this framework can be applied to the construction industry and how you can use it to articulate the value added by your projects. 

Economic sustainability

Projects need to deliver value and show tangible financial benefits, requiring a balance between economic growth and hitting sustainability targets. It’s important to keep this in mind when you’re looking to gain buy-in for more sustainable approaches to construction projects, as the cost savings they generate can often be just as compelling as the positive impact on environmental credentials.

The Orchard Place Housing Scheme in King’s Lyon, Norfolk, shows how this can work. Here, the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and housing developer Lovell needed to build roads over weak and variable ground for a new residential site. Tensar’s solution offered sustainability benefits – reducing the volume of imported aggregate by 33% – but also delivered £64,000 in cost savings, making it an obvious choice.

The Orchard Place Housing scheme reduced costs by £64,000 while saving 33% in the aggregate required, by using Tensar geogrids in an optimised pavement design.

Environmental sustainability 

The most obvious of the three pillars, it's essential to consider your environmental impact. Protecting the natural environment through appropriate practices and policies will ensure you’re working towards greener construction. As you may have discovered when specifying projects, key environmental issues to address include sustainable material use, the loss of biodiversity, waste management and carbon emission reduction. 

ESB and Bord na Móna partnered with Tensar on the construction of Owenniny Windfarm – with the challenge of building 25km of 4m wide unpaved roads to access 29 turbine locations that were economical and met environmental KPI’s. Roads and working platforms had to be able to support heavy construction traffic over weak and saturated ground. Tensar designed access roads and working platforms mechanically stabilised by Tensar geogrids. Costs were cut by using 40%-50% thinner roads and platforms and 50% less imported fill. This had a knock-on effect of reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% due to less transportation, quarrying, and compaction activities on site.

Owenniny Windfarm reduced carbon emissions and the volume of aggregates used by 50%.

Social sustainability

Social sustainability is about improving people's quality of life through projects and committing to considering communities that may be affected by them. When looking to demonstrate the social value added by a construction project, key areas to emphasise include job creation, improvements to community spaces, and the use of locally sourced materials – all of which can support your proposals. In addition to this, a reduction in construction traffic can  help reduce the impact on the local community.

Sustainable construction focus areas: the seven principles

Looking for guidance on where to start with implementing more sustainable construction methods? The seven key principles, introduced through initiatives such as the Building to Net Zero Scheme, can help. Read on to learn more about each area below.

Sustainable materials

Opting to use more sustainable materials is an excellent starting point for your organisation. This could include any products selected and produced with minimal waste and environmental impact.

Aggregates, for example, are used in many areas of construction, and there are recycled aggregate alternatives for all traditional types of aggregates. These offer the opportunity to utilise sustainable materials without affecting performance. Recycled materials offer environmental benefits over raw material alternatives, saving you both time and money. Secondary aggregates – by-products of industrial activities – are also a viable option.

Geosynthetics are a class of polymeric products that can be used to help minimise the environmental impact of your projects and meet sustainability targets. Not only can plastic geosynthetics extend road service lives and conserve water resources, but they can also reduce the amount of aggregate and asphalt required. Geogrid reinforced soil retaining walls, for example, can combine the strength and durability of geogrid reinforcement with recycled or waste fill materials, offering a lower cost, lower carbon, more sustainable alternative to reinforced concrete retaining walls. To learn more, read our article on ‘What role can plastics and geogrids play in sustainability.’

When selecting materials for sustainable construction, it is important to avoid ‘greenwashing’ claims by manufacturers. Tensar’s InterAx® and TriAx® geogrids are backed by Sustainable Environmental Product Declarations (Sustainable EDPs). Regulated by Standard EN ISO 15804, Tensar EPDs have information on the environmental impacts of the manufacture, use, reclamation, and disposal of Tensar geogrids through a life cycle assessment. We are committed to a sustainable future and contributing to greener construction practices. 

Energy efficiency

Design strategies and techniques used to minimise energy are crucial in the planning, building and upkeep of buildings and infrastructure. For example, in the housing sector, the Future Homes Standard scheme was released in 2025, with all UK homes built required to be ‘zero carbon ready’, where no further energy efficiency measures are needed to become zero carbon. 

Designing an energy-saving infrastructure is only half the battle – there’s also a need to introduce more energy-efficient construction processes. Tensar InterAx geogrids can support this by providing solutions that reduce the volume of materials used and transportation requirements compared to alternative methods, reducing the total amount of energy used whilst also delivering cost savings.