Materials

The impacts of construction materials arise from the initial extraction of raw material, the processing and manufacture of material, assembly and transportation of products, characteristics of the product in use, longevity, maintenance requirements and disposal issues. In order to address sustainability in construction materials all of these aspects should be considered. 

The impact of particular materials and construction systems are often not apparent because they occur long distances from where the product is consumed, or are part of the manufacturing and transportation phase and are simply not considered by the end user. One method used to assess the materials in terms of sustainability is the Life Cycle Assessment Method, which considers the environmental, economic and social factors associated with the material over the course of its lifetime.

It is possible to reduce the entire life or ‘cradle to grave’ impact of building materials through practical and cost effective methods. These are often as simple as using construction systems appropriate to the climate or substituting materials with high recycled content for those made from new or non-renewable material. This is particularly true of the energy component.

The energy consumption of materials can be minimised by using the following steps:

• Make more efficient use of existing materials.

• Minimise the amount of waste.

• Use materials with least environmental impact or fully recycled materials or materials with recycled content.

• Consider both operational and whole lifecycle performance of materials and designs.

• Re-use whole buildings or parts thereof to reduce consumption of new materials.

• Choose materials with a lifespan equivalent to the projected life of the building.

• Design to extend building lifespan (current average 50 years - aim for 100+).

• Design and build for de-construction, re-use, adaptation, modification and recycling.

• Encourage development of new, efficient, low impact materials and applications by creating demand.

• Consider how and where the materials are sourced and the impacts this could cause.

• Minimise the energy used to transport materials by using locally produced material. Use of lightweight material where appropriate also reduces transportation energy.

• Minimise the energy used to heat and cool the building by using materials that effectively modify climate extremes.

• Understand how chemicals used in the manufacture of some materials might affect your health.

• Minimise or eliminate emissions during use and manufacture.