The urgent need for a
net zero built environment

Reducing the energy use and emissions from new and existing buildings is a key plank of many national net zero strategies. Our dwellings and workplaces also need to be resilient to the changing climate – providing safe, healthy and comfortable places in which to live and work for years to come.

Our multi-disciplinary Building Energy Research Group (BERG) is revolutionising building performance – delivering a range of innovations to create healthier and more sustainable spaces, while developing the guidelines and regulations that will steer future construction policy and practice.

For example, our research has revealed that many UK homes suffer from summertime overheating, and that disadvantaged and vulnerable segments of our communities suffer the most. We have developed new, more accurate ways to measure overheating, and made policy recommendations to mitigate the risks.

We are now applying our expertise in this area through the British Academy funded REFIT project. With partners in Ghana, we’re co-developing ways to reduce the impact of extreme heat and improve well-being in cities across the Global South.

Meanwhile, our unique matched-pair test houses have allowed us to quantify the potential energy savings of a range of technologies, including heating controls, thermal storage and insulation measures. We’re able to predict how these innovations will perform in real settings and ultimately transform how we regulate temperature in our homes all year round.

Alongside this work, we were part of the Technical Evaluation of SMETER Technologies (TEST) – a project funded by BEIS which explored the capability of advanced smart meters to measure domestic thermal performance. The resulting advances in thermal characterisation can be used to evaluate policy, support retrofit and to quality assure new builds.

It is almost three decades since the first World Conference on Natural Disasters in Yokohama, and natural hazards pose as big a threat as ever – reportedly claiming more than 60,000 lives every year.

Flooding and landslides account for the largest number of natural hazards around the world – causing more than 920 deaths in July 2021.

Meanwhile, migration to cities continues and they are home to just over half the world’s population. Many are hotspots of vulnerability – built on deltas, coastlines or fault lines – and it is the poorest among these urban communities who are most at risk.

The UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11 pledges to reduce the number of people affected by natural hazards by making the places in which they live more resilient.

Our geotechnics and geomatics experts are investigating the impacts of climate change on infrastructure performance and developing techniques to forecast deterioration resulting from changing climate patterns.

Working at the forefront of acoustic infrastructure monitoring for more than 20 years, they have also developed two innovative and affordable landslide sensor and early warning technologies. Both detect landslides earlier than standard inclinometers – providing valuable additional time for action to be taken.

Slope ALARMS monitors slopes that threaten infrastructure – such as roads, railways and dams – and provides warnings using mobile phone technology so that timely action can be taken by the asset owners. Meanwhile, Community Slope SAFE – operated and maintained by the communities it protects – delivers an audible and visual alarm so that people can be safely evacuated, saving lives.

Many landslides are caused by rain and flood events. Our Water Engineering colleagues lead a number of projects that are exploring ways to achieve sustainable and resilient built environments, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Their work is developing the flood resilience of communities across Indonesia, Nepal, Vietnam, China and Bhutan – for example, by integrating Blue Green Infrastructure (BGI) into urban development planning.

Alongside this activity, our Geography and Environment colleagues have pioneered research into real-time, street-level surface water flood nowcasting. In 2019, spin-out company Previsico was launched. The company has grown rapidly, becoming a global provider of cutting-edge forecasting services to insurers, businesses, governments and humanitarian organisations – significantly reducing the human and economic impacts of flooding.

In 2016, we embarked on a three-year research partnership with SAS International to design and manufacture novel earthquake-resistant metal ceilings, using a combination of cutting-edge experimental and computational methods to test their seismic performance.

The resulting unique ceiling bracing system performs better than existing products – and is easy to manufacture and install. In addition, a range of upgrade kits has been created for many of the company’s existing products to ensure they are suitable for use in seismic regions – significantly reducing costs without sacrificing safety.

Meanwhile, our world-leading Construction Management and Structures and Materials Research Groups have been studying Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) for several years. They have undertaken projects funded by the NHS, and advised the Department for Education and other top-level Governmental bodies on the risks associated with the material and how best to manage them.

Their work has been instrumental in identifying the main issues with RAAC, develop recommendations and define a way forward. They are currently working with the Government, professional bodies and engineering firms to ensure that their research continues to deliver swift and positive practical solutions.

We are proud that so many of our researchers are at the forefront of global efforts to mitigate the impacts of natural hazards precipitated by climate change, and developing ways to ensure that our homes and public buildings are safe, sustainable and fit for purpose.