Exploring conceptual linkages between value engineering and sustainable construction

There has been increased awareness of the importance of value engineering (VE) and sustainable development within the construction industry. Both subjects play crucial roles in realising quality, reliability and durability as well as enhancing performance throughout the life of a project. They also help to: improve service related outcomes within budget constraints: achieve a more efficient use of resources; and accomplish an optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality to satisfy the user requirements. This paper reviews VE and sustainable construction and explores conceptual linkages between the two that relate to achieving best value over the whole life of a building project. It also suggests six steps for applying VE principles and tools to help implement sustainable construction within early stages of a project. This paper also traces the belief that VE is an appropriate technique to diffuse sustainable construction principles among its team members. Furthermore, it explores the concern that many sustainable construction dimensions are already inherent as part of VE workshops, but with the level of consideration differing from one workshop to another depending on the knowledge of the team themselves. Moreover, the paper concludes that the degree of integration of between the two topics is relatively untapped due to a lack of information and understanding of the underlying concepts.