GREEN LIVING: Green Construction Materials

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Green Buildings by Sapna Kulshrestha

The frantic building activity going on all over to create affordable housing as well as premium residential and commercial spaces could have serious environmental consequences in the form of deforestation, depletion of the water table, and added strain on natural resources. Also the heavy reliance on conventional building materials has aggravated environmental problems as they utilize large amounts of non-renewable natural resources like energy, minerals, top-soil, forest cover, etc, and are generally polluting in nature.

Typically, conventional building technologies like burnt bricks, steel and cement are high in cost too, making construction unaffordable to wider sections of society. Many developers are now adopting building practices like rain harvesting, solar energy, daylight utilization and other measures, to help sustain the environment. The construction industry is increasingly seeking innovative green building materials, to build economical, affordable buildings and minimize the impact of construction activity on the environment.

Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than nonrenewable resources and their impacts are considered over the entire life cycle of the building.

Here are some examples of environmentally-friendly building materials:

Fly-ash bricks: One of the most commonly used products in construction is fly ash bricks, tiles and hollow blocks. Not only has this product solved the problem of disposal of this by-product of the power industry but is also energy efficient in terms of keeping interiors cooler.

High-performance glass: High performance glazing controls the solar and thermal heat in the interiors and brings abundant natural light without glare resulting in energy savings. The energy savings mean that the initial high cost can be recovered within three to four years.

Recycled wood: This wood made by compressing waste like chips and shavings generated by the logging industry and agricultural wastes like sisal fiber, rice husk, jute stalks, etc, are being utilized in a wide range of applications as substitutes for wood-based products.

Recycled building materials: Much of the building materials used in construction are fabricated with 20% -40% recycled contents including steel, glass and aluminum.

Plastic products: Plastic waste which is non biodegradable is recycled to be useful as building product for flooring, waste containers, fence posts, park benches and as a substitute for other timber and concrete products. Polyester resin from recycled PET can replace the conventional high cost resin for use in construction.

Bamboo products: Bamboo is fast growing and readily available wood which is increasingly being used as ply panels for wall cladding, flooring and other interior purposes.

Low VOC paints and adhesives: Paints and finishes containing Volatile Organic Compounds release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. Now available are non-toxic products with low or zero VOC levels which are less harmful to human and environmental health.

Green roofing: Landscaped roofs partially or completely covered with vegetation, reduce winter heat losses and summer cooling loads on buildings thus balancing energy efficiency, rainwater management and climate protection.

Grass pavers: This product can be noticed in parking lots, driveways and open areas that are paved but have tufts of grass coming out between the blocks. These are concrete grid systems filled with soil which not only preserve soil erosion but also regenerate the water table by allowing excess water to seep in.

The concept of sustainable building incorporates a variety of strategies; the use of green building materials and products represents one of these important strategies, offering benefits like reduced maintenance and replacement costs, energy conservation and greater design flexibility in the design of a building.