Green construction – an opportunity or a challenge for the construction industry?

Green construction – an opportunity or a challenge for the construction industry?

Vietnam’s socio-economic development is gaining momentum, urbanization is taking place rapidly, and the high demand for construction is creating significant pressure on the construction materials manufacturing industry. With the growing trend of green construction in Vietnam, this is not only a potential opportunity but also a considerable challenge for the construction industry in particular and society as a whole. This is because the concept of green construction is still relatively new in Vietnam, and people do not yet have a full understanding of the benefits it brings.

What is green construction?

Green construction involves using environmentally friendly construction materials that do not have negative impacts on the environment or users’ health throughout their life cycle, from production to application in construction and the end of their service life. Green materials generally have a long service life, can be recycled and sustainably disposed of, and do not have adverse impacts on the environment.

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• Cost efficiency – The initial investment in green construction materials can be more economical because of their long service life.
• Improved health – Using green materials is beneficial to health because they do not contain toxic components.
• Energy savings – Energy-efficient products use less energy. They reduce energy costs and can also help reduce pollution.

• Durable and easy to maintain – Durable materials do not need to be upgraded or repaired frequently, helping conserve resources and energy. Materials that are easy to maintain require less money, time, and effort to keep in good condition.
• Recyclable – Recycled construction materials provide two environmental benefits: they save energy and reduce waste.

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According to experts, green materials generally have a relatively long service life. Moreover, they can help investors or homeowners maximize cost savings because they can be reused after being dismantled from a building.

Today, the green construction movement has spread to more than 100 countries around the world and has become a “Green Construction Revolution” in Vietnam’s construction sector. Many types of green materials are now encouraged and widely used, such as Ubot boxes, non-fired bricks, and XPS thermal insulation foam. However, Ubot boxes remain one of the most widely used options. Ubot boxes are formwork made from recycled polypropylene used in slab and raft foundation structures, with the ability to be reused and easily disposed of when they are no longer needed.

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The current state of the “green construction” trend in Vietnam 

Around the world, green construction materials have been and are being used in countries such as South Korea, Singapore, and the United States. These countries are among the leaders in this field and have received recognition for their efforts. In developed countries, non-fired bricks account for 70% of construction projects. For example, China has banned the use of solid bricks fired from clay in cities, resulting in non-fired bricks accounting for up to 60% of construction. In the United States, green construction projects are increasing continuously, with green commercial buildings accounting for up to one-third of the total.

However, in Vietnam, technological and scientific barriers have limited the widespread development of green materials. Although the construction materials industry has made certain progress in recent years, production in Vietnam is still not truly sustainable and continues to face issues that need to be researched and addressed.

Investment in the production and development of certain types of construction materials remains inappropriate in some cases. Insufficient attention to worker training has led to quality issues in a small number of projects, such as cracked walls, creating doubts about these products and affecting the green construction materials market. 

Reference: Net-zero in the construction industry

Challenges and opportunities for the construction industry

In recent years, the construction industry has made certain progress. However, the Ministry of Construction has still assessed that its development is not yet truly sustainable and continues to face issues that need to be researched and addressed.

Currently, the green construction trend remains limited due to several barriers. These include the habit of using conventional materials, reluctance to adopt integrated solutions, the high cost of green materials, and indifference to common goals because they do not provide immediate benefits to construction stakeholders. Other barriers include insufficient communication and awareness campaigns and, in particular, an incomplete system of standards, regulations, and technical-economic norms related to green products, leaving no adequate basis for reference among relevant parties.

Nevertheless, the construction industry still has many opportunities for development as the Government has introduced various policies to encourage and promote the production and use of green materials in construction projects.

Among these, the Vietnam Construction Materials Development Strategy for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, approved under Decision No. 1266/QD-TTg dated August 18, 2020, identifies seven implementation solutions, including: improving institutions and policies; efficiently and economically exploiting mineral resources; promoting scientific and technological research and application; promoting domestic consumption and exports of construction materials; training and improving the quality of human resources; enhancing equipment manufacturing capacity; and protecting the environment in production.

Therefore, the Government is creating many opportunities and incentives for participants in the green construction and green materials market. This is an opportunity for manufacturers and investors to demonstrate their capabilities and expertise to consumers. 

Reference: The secrets of Ubot slab construction

Not only do manufacturers and investors face challenges in bringing green construction to every household, but they also face significant challenges because green materials on the market are becoming increasingly diverse, including non-fired roofing tiles, crushed sand, fired clay bricks, ready-mixed concrete, Ubot hollow box slabs, and more. This gives consumers more choices. Therefore, to establish their position in the construction market, manufacturers need to train and improve the quality of their human resources, enhance equipment manufacturing capacity, and protect the environment during production. 

Green construction is a new trend today, thanks to its durability, environmental friendliness, and safety for health. Green construction materials such as Italy-standard Ubot hollow box slabs provide sustainable and green value, delivering high-quality, environmentally friendly products to consumers. To learn more about Ubot hollow box slabs as a green construction material, please contact LPC for advice and support as soon as possible.

—- Lam Pham Construction Company Limited – LPC

Hotline: 0911.29.9696

Website: https://lpc.vn

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