Sustainable Construction in Concrete Structures – What to Think to the Future

FX Supartono FX Supartono, born 1949, graduated

Civil Engineer, Doctor of Science,
Part Time Associate Professor at
University Tarumanagara,
CEO of Partono Fondas Engineering
Consultant, Jakarta, Indonesia
Email: fxsupartono@gmail.com
from the Univ of Indonesia, Jakarta. He
has completed his Doctorate degree at
the Ecole Centrale de Lyon, France. He
has conducted many researches in HSC
& HPC and its application in long-span
bridges and green concrete, with more
than 200 scientific publications.

Summary
This paper presents various aspects of the sustainable infrastructure development that is mandatory
for civil engineers to promote or even be a leader in pioneering its implementation, particularly in
concrete production and construction that is the topic of this paper. It can be a wide range of
application from design, materials, construction method, cost effectiveness and durability, for which
the engineers should be able to use their knowledge and abilities to manage their activity in
harmony with the environment, as well as to inspire the optimism to create a sustainable
infrastructure world. At the end of this paper, engineers are encouraged to learn from the past and
think to the future, as well as to always update and improve the voluntary action plans on
sustainable development, which will lead humanity and environment to coexist harmoniously.
Keywords: sustainable development, infrastructure, concrete production and construction.

1. Introduction
Sustainable, a popular ‘word’ that was one of the most discussed for guiding the world economic
development in the past two decades, since it was defined by Brundtland Report ‘Our Common
Future’ in 1987, is often understood as ‘action to meet the needs and aspirations of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’. Many
international conventions have been organized by the United Nations and other international
institutions to search the best solutions in meeting that objective, particularly on how to reduce the
greenhouse gas emissions and its effects on the climate change, as well as to implement the true
sustainable action plans in various aspects of human life.
As we know, Asia Pacific is the largest region of world population. The huge markets have made
Asia Pacific, particularly Asian Region that consists mostly of developing countries, the fastest
growing economy in the world. Nevertheless, this fast growth places excessive demand and
consumption on natural resources [1] and strains the earth’s environment and ecosystem.
It is understood that civil engineers have the obligation to continuously improve the quality of
human life, on which such activities on the economic and construction development need to use a
lot of earth’s resources. However, the wise use of those resources is a must. Excessive exploitation
of the natural resources such as timber, topsoil, pastureland, water, and minerals will disrupt and
damage the ecosystem that may further cause disasters for many people (Fig. 1.1), or even destroy
the continuing existence of the humanity.

Fig. 1.1: Natural disasters in Indonesia

However, from Kyoto Protocol (1997) until Paris UN Climate Summit (2015), although the efforts
have been made to improve the economic development strategy becoming more environment-
friendly, including in the infrastructure development process, there was not yet significant progress
on the target achievement, especially in the developing countries. We observe that the unsustainable
trends continue, and sustainable development has not found the real political entry point to make
real progress; many people including civil engineers still in the mentality of ‘business as usual’,
even sometimes in question of ‘is it mandatory to realize the sustainable target?’, or ‘why I have to
do if other people didn’t do it?’, or even says that ‘sustainable construction is much more expensive
than conventional construction’.
In fact such perception is wrong, due to wrong calculation they use to define profitability balance
the initial investment in a construction against its long-term operating costs and other social
benefits.
In this problematic situation, it may be useful to perform a ‘transformative approach’ on the
sustainable action plans, particularly for the future infrastructure development, into a ‘more simple
approach’ but comprehensive target so that is able to attire people, including the engineers,
especially in the developing countries, to follow more participation in the real actions in sustainable
infrastructure development process, on which people from all fields should work together to
achieve the goals. Only by working together, we will be able to develop and realize a better
sustainable infrastructure world or what we call often ‘green infrastructure’ in the future.
2. What to think on the action plan for sustainable infrastructure development
In fact many aspects of sustainable development can be implemented by the engineers, in the
objective to always enhance the environment protection in a reasonable level that should be in
balance with the infrastructure development needs.
It is understood that sustainable development is a long term process. Therefore it should have a
strategic and comprehensive achievement plans for our future sustainable world, which is usually
defined by the international treaty or conventions on sustainable development. However, for the real
application in a particular field like our infrastructure field, it needs absolutely a short term and
innovative action plans so that we can implement the mission as much as possible in the day-to-day
lifes and works. For our concern, that means to be implemented within the sustainable criteria and
to achieve our infrastructure’s sustainable goals.
Here below are some short term sustainable criteria and action plans to be taken care in the
infrastructure development process, particularly in the concrete production and construction
process, which can hopefully be implemented by more people including engineers.
2.1. Simple criteria for complying to sustainable infrastructure development process
A simple approach can be described for engineers to test himself whether he or she has complied to
the sustainable or ‘green’ criteria in the performance of their works, which is consisting of at least
four criteria [2]:
1. Did they incorporate principles of sustainability into each of their working steps or decisions on
the infrastructure development and production process?
2. Have they realized environment-friendly infrastructure production or services that replaces
demand for non-sustainable or ‘nongreen’ products and/or services?
3. Is it ‘greener’ than traditional products in competition?
4. Have they made a mandatory commitment to environmental principles in their business
operations?
The above four points may become a simple testing criteria for whom that want to be eligible for
having volunteer ‘green performance’.
2.2 Sustainability needs ‘Space’ for natural recharging of our earth
During the rapid economic growth at many developing countries in the past, the infrastructures have
been developed rapidly as a representative of the successful economic achievement, e.g. rapid
development of very tall commercial buildings, large and heavy industrial buildings, long-span
bridges, large harbours, etc, which were mainly (in Indonesia) made by using concrete structures.
Fig. 2.1 shows the skyscrapers in Jakarta, which are mostly (80%) concrete buildings. Those
buildings have in fact covered almost all area of Jakarta’s CBD by concrete so there is no more
enough land ‘Space’ for water penetration and recharging in the earth. That’s why it is not
surprisingly if Jakarta was often flooded during the raining season. Please see Fig. 2.2 showing big
flood at Jakarta CBD in 2013.
On the other hand, behind the luxury tall buildings in the Jakarta CBD area, we can still find the
slumps area where poor people live (Fig. 2.3). In a contrast situation, those poor peoples are living
strikingly different from those of the luxury buildings, and even don’t have proper ground water for
everyday life needs.
Therefore, ‘Space’ is an important factor to be well planned and designed for the future sustainable
infrastructure development [3].

Fig. 2.1: Tall buildings in Jakarta

Fig. 2.2: Big flood in Jakarta CBD (2013) Fig. 2.3: Slumps area in Jakarta
2.3. Sustainable actions for concrete production and construction process
In particular field of concrete infrastructure production and construction process, civil and concrete
engineers should commit to work together for making efforts to achieve the sustainable
infrastructure goals, that means protecting the environment in a reasonable level by producing and
applying what we call the ‘green concrete’. It means concrete should be produced and constructed
in certain level of sustainable way, as well as to put forward certain actions for countermeasures
against imminent climate change due to global warming and the consequential disasters.
 Civil engineers should be able to use their rights, knowledge and abilities to manage their
activities in harmony with the environment [4], e.g.
o Proper management of the natural resources to be used in the concrete production and
construction, as well as to prevent its excessive exploitation, destruction and degradation to
the natural resources.
o Preferable using local material found at the surrounding area.
o Increase the use of renewable and recyclable materials e.g. artificial light weight aggregates
(ALWA, Fig. 2.4), recycled aggregates (Fig. 2.5), soil cement bricks, etc.
o Use nano material such as silica fume (Fig. 2.6) to improve the strength and durability of
concrete (Fig. 2.7).
o Reduce quantity of water used for concrete production (not only for concrete mixing).
o Other aspects related to the conservation of energy and natural resources in concrete
infrastructure production and application.
 Ensuree to implement the enerrgy saving as a well as thhe reductionn of greenhhouse gas emmissions onn
the conncrete infrasstructure prooduction prrocess, e.g.
o Devvelop a connstruction process
p and materials th hat may redduce the emmissions of greenhousee
gasses, e.g. usinng concretee with low cement
c con
ntent and low wer pouringg energy su
uch as usingg
the self compaacting concrrete.
o Inccrease the useu of wastee materials such as fly y ash (Fig. 2.8) and grround granu ulated blastt
furnnace slag (F Fig. 2.8) too replace paart of cemen nt in the cooncrete mixxes, becausee cement inn
fact is a ‘nonggreen’ materrial as it reppresents arouund 90% off energy connsumption (Fig.
( 2.9) inn
a normal concrrete production.
o Harrvested rainn water can be used as combined water sourcce for toilett flushing an nd washingg
in the
t project sites,
s especiially in the raining
r seasson.

Fig. 2.4: AL
LWA producedd in Indonessia Fig
g. 2.5: Recyclled aggregattes for accesss roads

Fig. 2.6:
2 Silica Fuume (SF) Fig.
F 2.7: SF nano tech appplied concreete

Fig. 2.8: Flyy Ash & GG Blast Furnaace Slag Fig. 2.9: Ennergy consum
mption in con
ncrete

 Ensuree to increasee the durabillity and servvice life of newly

n constructed infrrastructure, e.g.
o Inccrease to usee the high performancee materials
o Inccrease the quuality of prooduction annd construction work
o Inccrease to usee the precasst concrete system
s in orrder to obtaiin a higher quality of construction
c n
commponents annd faster construction time.
t

 Ensuree the preseervation off cultural values and

d heritage of the exxisting buildings andd
infrastrructures (Fig. 2.10).
 Encourage and involve the transfer of knowledge of environment-friendly technologies in a
‘link and match’ solution with the educational institutions and the industrial research and
development institutions.

Fig. 2.10: Preservation of Museum Bank Indonesia in Jakarta

 Encourage participation of the engineers in the formulation and implementation of public
policies for the sustainable development action plan in their country.

2.4. Sustainability needs premium quality control and quality assurance

Quality control and quality assurance should be part of the sustainable action plan to be applied in
all process of infrastructure production work, in order to be able to assure the premium production/
construction result as part of our responsibility to the next generation.
Lack of quality control and quality assurance may cause defects in the construction result (Fig.
2.11) or even failure of the structure (Fig. 2.12).

Fig. 2.11: Improper construction quality Fig. 2.12: Failure of a bridge deck

2.5. Sustainability needs maintenance and strategic renewal on existing infrastructures

Regular maintenance and monitoring as well as strategic renewal on existing infrastructures should
also be part of the sustainable action plan to be managed by the engineers as a mandatory task, in
order to be able to maintain or even increase the service life of the existing structures.
Lack of maintenance may cause danger or even resulting in a ‘man-made disaster’ on the existing
infrastructure like what happened to Kukar Bridge in Indonesia in 2011 (Fig. 2.15).
Kukar Bridge (complete name: Kutai Kartanegara Bridge) was a long span suspension bridge
located in the Borneo Island, East Kalimantan Province, which was crossing the Mahakam River
connecting the cities of Tenggarong and Samarinda (Fig. 2.13). The suspension bridge had a total
length of 710 meters including the approach bridges, on which the main span was 270 meters, and
side span 2 x 100 meters. This bridge was opened for traffic on 21 September 2001 [5].
 Fig. 2.13: Kukar Bridge Fig. 2.14: Deformation of Kukar Bridge

Fig. 2.15: Collapse of Kukar Bridge (2011)

On 26 November 2011, during its repair, the bridge suddenly collapsed, killing at least 20 people
and injuring 40, with an additional 19 people reported missing (Fig. 2.15).
In fact in the first year operation of the bridge, the local bridge authority has identified a horizontal
displacement of 9 cm and settlement of 5 cm in the main cable’s anchorage block at Tenggarong
side (Fig. 2.14). Due to this movement, there was a deflection in the middle of the bridge deck
downward 61.6 cm relative to its original as-built position [5]. In addition, there were horizontal
displacements at the top of the towers (pylons), particularly the Tower 1 at Tenggarong side that has
moved 13.2 cm (recorded on 6 March 2003) towards inside the main span (Fig. 2.14).
After 9 years of observation on the movement at the main cable’s anchorage block and the
deformation on the bridge deck and the tower, the local bridge authority has decided to perform a
serious repair work, by doing action to raise the bridge deck by pull down the center hanger rod
using the hydraulic jack. However, the repair sequence and stages were not well studied, on which
people did not aware on the ‘hanger force transfer’ that may happen from the neighbouring hanger
rods to the center hanger rod during the pull down, which has increased considerably the center
hanger’s tension force [6].
On the other hand, due to unsymmetrical jacking process at the bridge deck, it has also caused
torsion force on the clamp connecting the hangers to the main cable. In addition, due to stress
concentration effect, the shear force applied in the clamp’s transition zone including hanger’s pin
joint can potentially be increased by 1.5 - 2 times of the hanger’s tension force.
We don’t know what exactly happened but the bridge was suddenly collapsed in the afternoon of 26
November 2011. Almost all workers doing the repair work had lost their life during the accident,
while no body from the supervision engineers and the local bridge authority were present on the site
at that time. However, we guess, the pin joint that was connecting the center hanger to the clamp
joining the main cable was the first component that failures under combination of the increasing
hanger force and the stress concentration (Fig. 2.16). Due to the cast iron material used for hangers’
clamp joints, a brittle failure of center hanger’s connection might have suddenly happened.
Immediately after that first failure, it had resulted in another impact forces on the neighbouring
hanger rods and also failure of its connections. Repeating that domino effect, all other hangers’
connections were broken progressively and rapidly until total collapse of the bridge in 30 seconds.
Collapse of Kukar Bridge shows unsustainable maintenance and/or monitoring process that were
consisting of at least two main facts:
o Lack of responsibility to take care on the maintenance of existing structure that was not
performed on time.
o Lack of comprehensive study on the staging analysis of every repair stages prior to the
commencement of repair work has caused fatal accident of the bridge (man-made disaster).

Fig. 2.16: Failure of hangers’ clamp and pin joints

3. Learn from the past and think to the future

Civil engineers should always learn from the lessons in the past including the previous ‘human
errors’, in order to improve their knowledge in how to perform a sustainable infrastructure
production process including good design.
Only by collating the experiences from the past we may be able to think to the future on how to
always update and improve the voluntary action plans related to the sustainable infrastructure
development, more particularly in the concrete production and construction process, which will lead
humanity and environment to coexist harmoniously.
4. Concluding remarks
1. It is true that civil engineers have an obligation to continuously improve the quality of human
life. However, at the same time, it should be also a mandatory task for engineers to use their
rights, knowledge and abilities to manage their activity in balancing the environment protection
and the infrastructure development needs at a reasonable level, as well as to inspire the
optimism to create a sustainable infrastructure world.
2. All those action plans should not be only written as a ‘paper work’ or by maintaining the
mentality of ‘business as usual’. In all cases, engineers should incorporate principles of
sustainability into each of their working activities, and to apply that vision on the day-to-day
real works. The civil engineers should have commitment to implement the sustainable criteria in
every aspect of infrastructure production and service works so that means also to provide
protection from natural and man-made hazards.
3. Civil engineers should always learn from the lessons and collate the similar experiences from
the past, and then think to the future on how to always update and improve the voluntary action
plans related to the sustainable infrastructure development.
4. Moreover, the engineers’ associations should participate in the formulation of public policies for
the environment-friendly regulation in their country, in order to encourage or even awarding
people on the implementation of sustainable development in many aspects of infrastructure
development plan.
References
[1] PEZZEY J.C. & Col, “The Economics of Sustainability”, Resources for the Future, 2014.
[2] COONEY S., “Build A Green Business, Profitable Ways to Become an Ecopreneur”, 2009.
[3] EASTERLING K., “Extrastatecraft”, 5th LafargeHolcim Sustainable Forum – Infrastructure
Space, Detroit, USA, 2016.
[4] SUPARTONO FX., “Engineers’ Role in Protecting Environment and Inspiring Optimism to
Create Sustainable Asia Pacific Region”, FIDIC ASPAC Conference for Sustainable
Approaches in Emerging Markets, Tehran, Iran, 2015.
[5] WIDODOTOMO, “Collapse of Kutai Kartanegara Bridge”, Technical Discussion Notes at
Inkindo Pusat, Jakarta, Indonesia, 2012.
[6] PT. PARTONO FONDAS, “Collapse Analysis of Kukar Bridge”, Bridge Failure Analysis
Report, Jakarta, Indonesia, 2012.