Big Energy Savings

Sustainable design can also produce big gains in energy conservation on infrastructure projects—roads, rail networks, airports, and the like. Take, for example, the New Doha International Airport in the desert nation of Qatar. To help keep the passenger terminal cool in the summer, high-performance glazing will help insulate the walls, and inward-angled curtainwall facades from the roof to the ground level will provide shade. In addition, carbon dioxide sensors will monitor the occupancy of the terminal, enabling the heating and air-conditioning systems to reduce flow to unoccupied areas.

The New Doha airport is designed around an oasis theme, but water is a scarce commodity in Qatar. The airport will irrigate its lush green landscaping with effluent from an on-site wastewater treatment plant.

Another ambitious example of sustainable design is unfolding in Bechtel’s newest London project, where Bechtel is responsible for construction of an underground tunnel and six stations on the Crossrail project—a new railway that will connect the city to its eastern and western suburbs. All of the new stations will meet requirements of the UK’s major standards groups for environmental design. That means using energy-efficient materials and low- or zero-carbon technologies during construction—such as lighter trains with regenerative braking, intelligent lighting systems, and energy-efficient escalators.