The session titled “Green & Innovative Construction Materials and Methods” featured CRT Manufacturing Sdn Bhd deputy managing director Huang Mei Si, YTL Cement Bhd head of sustainability Clarisse Loh and Malaysian Timber Industries Board deputy director (R&D), Fibre and Biocomposite Centre Dr Loh Yueh Feng.

The key question in the construction industry today is whether steel can go green in the face of the increased demand for green building materials. According to CRT Manufacturing Sdn Bhd deputy managing director Huang Mei Si, Bloomberg data shows that it costs US$278 billion (RM1.3 trillion) to migrate to a green refinery plant. She was presenting her session titled “Starbars: Innovative concrete reinforcement”.

“So, there are two [issues] here. One is, you have to have deep pockets to change to green factories. Then, option two is to change to the alternative. So, the key question here is, can we? Steel has never been changed in the last 100 years.”

She added that three tonnes of steel is needed for a 2-storey house, and that is equivalent to three tonnes of carbon emissions. A tonne of carbon emissions can only be offset by 40 trees, depending on the tree species, and therefore three tonnes of carbon emissions will need a whopping 120 trees from the offset.

Green steel can reduce embodied carbon by 18%, she explained.

“An IEA (International Energy Agency) 2018 Global Status Report indicates that the building and construction sector accounts for 38% of global carbon emissions. Concrete manufacturing is responsible for 7% of the emissions, while steel accounts for 6.7%. Carbon emissions on this scale have a substantial impact on the environment and contribute to global warming, which makes finding alternatives a key consideration.

“Another threat to the construction industry is corrosion. Ineffective materials in certain environments can cause severe corrosion, leading to calls for frequent repairs and replacement, which consumes additional materials. The cost of corrosion of highway bridges in the US alone is estimated to be US$8.3 billion annually. In response to the industry’s need for new technologies and materials that have less of a negative impact on cost and the environment, NEx (an ACI Center of Excellence for Nonmetallic Building Materials) was established to develop and promote the use of cost-effective materials and solutions.”

Wood plastic composites (WPC) have many advantages. They are sustainable and environment-friendly; have a long lifespan; cost saving; weatherproof; highly durable as well as termite- and insect-resistant, according to Malaysian Timber Industries Board deputy director (R&D), Fibre and Biocomposite Centre Dr Loh Yueh Feng during her session, “Wood plastic composite in construction”.

WPCs are made of wood flour or other biomass material and thermoplastic such as polyethene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). About 70% of the raw material comes from biomass, while the remaining is from thermoplastic and additive chemicals.

Loh said that WPC products are made using the knock-down and industrialised building systems. Thus, the products are easy to use and install, using the guidelines provided, while the pre-assembled profiles are easy to replace if they are damaged.

“WPC products have gone through several rounds of testing to ensure that they are non-toxic and do not contain many harmful chemicals. It is for the safety and health of humans. That’s why WPC products have received eco-friendly labelling from SIRIM,” she said, adding that the products are made with sustainable or renewable resources.

The products are also versatile and can be used as floor decking, sunscreens, railings, gazebos, doors and windows, roofing, outdoor furniture, planter boxes, wall panels and playgrounds.

“In Malaysia, we have an abundance of biomass resources that can be alternative raw materials for the timber industry, such as oil palm trunks, empty fruit bunches, wood residue, coconut stems, bamboo and rice husk. Biomass can be used to produce biomass-variated products such as WPC and timber panel products like plywood and particle board.”

Loh showed the example of the FAST (friendly, affordable, system and latest technology) house. “So we call it Rumah Banjir because this WPC is waterproof. That’s why we want to have this prototype and we try to promote this affordable house to the local authorities.”

Sustainable construction is the future and concrete can be the solution, said Clarisse Loh, YTL Cement Bhd head of sustainability, during her session, “Green concrete for sustainable construction”.

“The reason for that is simple … the inherent qualities of concrete itself, of being resilient, being low in embodied carbon, being available locally. All these qualities make concrete very suitable as a sustainable construction material. On top of that, with the advancement in technology in both cement production and concrete manufacturing, we think concrete is here to stay.”

In future, she noted, to have more sustainable cement, there is a need to avoid clinkers or partially replace them in the production process. For example, calcined clay has been tested and found to be capable of replacing up to 30% of clinkers.

“So that’s a good number, 30%. But, at the moment, the behaviour of some of these new clinkers is such that they need to be adjusted. Like in the case of calcined clay, it will have an impact on the water demand of concrete. So that’s where we need to work with admixture producers to formulate the right type of additives to complement this new clinker so that we can achieve the desired performance in the concrete that we produce,” she said.

"At the same time, we will continue to work on the formulation of our products so that we can increase the percentage of the recycled content in our products. In addition, we are also testing different kinds of materials and production processes for cement and concrete. There is already quite a lot of different research and development in this area. With that, we will be able to offer even more circular, low-carbon cement, concrete and drymix products."

She foresees that other waste materials will be incorporated in cement production in the future. For example, recycled materials from construction and demolition waste. We have already seen this development in neighbouring countries.

Under the banner of “Bring in the ESG Champions”, the speakers shared their ESG experiences through their respective companies’ products and services. The panel included Hexagon Geosystems president Asia and Leica Geosystems (part of Hexagon) vice-president of survey solutions Faheem Khan, MCC Overseas Malaysia Sdn Bhd managing director Li An Wei and RSP Architects Sdn Bhd director Ahmad Farid Baharuddin.

Hexagon Geosystems is a Swedish MNC that offers digital reality and other digital solutions that capture, measure and visualise the physical world. In his presentation, “Hexagon: Why ESG is at the Heart of Our Corporate Strategy”, Faheem explained: “Our approach to business starts with investment — in the people and in R&D, in particular. We have more than 5,000 colleagues around the world who are focused on staying relevant to key industries we serve by this fundamental principle of unlocking the value of data.”

The company produces the hardware and software for data collection, providing clients with a holistic view of their processes that enable them to make ESG choices that benefit the company, its supply chain, customers and the planet. The hardware Faheem showcased are Leica products that can capture imaging of a particular space that professionals and experts can work from so that any issues can be resolved before actual work begins.

Hexagon has also moved into sustainability in a big way.

“More recently, in 2021, we accelerated our commitment to this topic and established a new business venture, a company called R-evolution, which is 100% focused on leveraging Hexagon’s technology to address green tech markets. We have every intention of continuing to partner with customers and technology enablers, and to lead the way with sustainable business practices,” said Faheem.

During the Q&A session, in reply to a question about Hexagon’s plans for the country, Faheem said: “The focus is to expand in Malaysia. The intention is to have another hub here.”

To the question about actual cost savings from using technology, Faheem explained that a human specialist checking through a site could pick up 500 points of data in a day, while technology can collect two million points of data in one second. This greater efficiency will speed up productivity and also eliminate rework, he pointed out.

Speaking on the “China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)”, which marked its 10th anniversary this year, Li from construction outfit MCC Overseas Malaysia said the BRI had carried out more than 3,000 practical projects and driven nearly US$1 trillion in investment.

In Malaysia, China has been the country’s largest trading partner for the past 14 years. In 2022, the trade volume exceeded US$200 billion for the first time.

The projects that MCC Overseas Malaysia has been involved in include the East Coast Rail Link, Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP) and China-Malaysia QinZhou Industrial Park (CMQIP), MRT Line 2 and high-rise construction such as W Hotel and The Exchange 106 @ TRX.

Li explained that they used building information modelling (BIM) to design buildings, which saves time and cost. They also made use of virtual reality (VR) to enable engineers equipped with VR goggles to identify defects in real time. Construction robots worked alongside human workers for greater efficiency. Robots were used for tasks such as floor-tile paving, indoor spraying and concrete-ceiling polishing.

During the Q&A session, Li responded to queries about the BRI’s plans with Malaysian companies, saying that all countries involved would benefit in the long term. He added that there have been many inquiries about setting up companies in Malaysia to export its products internationally.

With regard to the ESG practices of countries involved in the BRI, he said each had its own ESG initiatives to ensure they helped in reducing carbon emissions.

The next speaker delved deep into the design and planning of the tallest building in Malaysia. In his presentation, “The Merdeka 118 Tower”, RSP Architects Sdn Bhd director Ahmad Farid Baharuddin said the project required plenty of engagement with local authorities, along with the submission of several designs to ensure all parties involved were on the same page.

The tower silhouette resembles the iconic image of the country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman with right hand raised as he declared Malaysia’s independence, and incorporates songket, a traditional handwoven fabric with geometric shapes, for the building exterior.

Merdeka 118 is one of components in the area with residential and retail offerings. The tower will house offices, an observation deck, a Park Hyatt hotel and restaurants. The gross floor area is 3.18 million sq ft. The total population of the tower is 10,000, he said.

“The client’s goal is to offer a progressive and global ESG standard development by incorporating the latest sustainability features and technologies through the design and construction of the tower. It aims to be the office of choice for those businesses looking to cut down on their carbon emissions and create a conducive environment for their employees as well as increase work productivity,” Ahmad Farid said.

“Sustainable features include high-performance façade glazing, district cooling plants, smart air recycling in the car park, grey water storage, hot water for the hotel drawn from the rooftop solar array panels and LED bulbs throughout the building.”

During the Q&A session, Ahmad Farid answered a question pertaining to the main design challenges and how they were overcome. He said that owing to the height of the building, many experts had to double check the designs to ensure all the crucial aspects were in order. The other challenge was explaining the evacuation process for building occupants to Bomba (Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia).

He reiterated that the building will have LEED, GBI and GreenRE certification, thus ensuring that it meets the stringent sustainability requirements.

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