SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS IN CONSTRUCTION

The construction industry is one of the largest exploiters of both renewable and non- renewable natural resources. It was inevitable that it would find itself at the centre of concerns regarding environmental impact. The process and operation of building construction consumes a great deal of materials throughout its service life cycle. The selection and use of sustainable building materials play an important role in the design and construction of green building. This chapter sets out to present an overview of sustainable building materials and their impacts on the environment. Materials used for the structure of buildings require properties of strength, whereas other parts, such as the envelope, are selected for their insulation or aesthetic properties. Comparisons become more complex when materials perform more than one function such as load-bearing walls that provide good thermal insulation. There is also a need to distinguish between finite resources and renewable resources when reviewing the sustainability of a material. Some materials, despite being non-renewable may be considered plentiful on earth; however, the consequences and impacts of mining them may be considered unacceptable. The effect of construction material selection will impact upon sustainability throughout the lifetime of both the material and that of the building itself. The need to maintain the building, replacing individual components, disposing of the old, and procuring the new will have environmental impact from cradle to grave.