Sustainability means a lot in the construction business.

It means ensuring that resources are being used

in an efficient way in our projects. It means considering the environmental impacts that are created by
the way we source materials and the processes we use to get the job done. It means understanding our
projects not just regarding the bottom line and the benefit to our business, but also in terms of the
impact on the environment, the community, and the world. The concept of sustainability means asking
ourselves the question “If everybody was doing this, what would the end result be?”. This blog explores
the importance of sustainability in construction, its major influencers and how it relates to green
construction.

What is Sustainable Construction?

The simplest way to understand sustainable construction is concerning who the stakeholders are in a
given project. If your firm is hired to construct a building, there are already several stakeholders
involved. The client, your firm and the local government that regulates construction in that area are all
stakeholders that will influence the process and outcomes of the project. If we want a project to be
sustainable, however, there are some other stakeholders that should be considered.

First, we need to think about the community. If we build using a process that we know generates a lot of
toxic waste, we need to dispose of that somewhere. The people that live there could be affected by that,
so if we view those people as important stakeholders, we have to find a way to construct that
acknowledges that.

Second, we need to think about the environment. If our methodologies use excessive amounts of non-
renewable energy sources or produce a lot of waste, we may be hurting the environment. If we value
environmental preservation, it is crucial that we use methodologies that promote that, or that we
pursue other means of offsetting the harm we are doing by creating a benefit some other way.
Sustainable construction means that there are more stakeholders at play than just those putting money
into the project.

The Role of Construction Firms in Sustainable Construction

This is business, and before anything else, your firm needs to show a profit. That being said, there can be
great benefits to investing in sustainable technologies when it comes to construction. The current
industry standard for sustainable construction is LEED construction. Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design has been the standard for sustainable construction practices since its inception in
1994 – it promotes a system of sustainable construction that goes above and beyond minimum building
codes to ensure that new buildings will not only be functional today, they will also be sustainable into
the future, energy efficient, and made from responsibly sourced materials.
Builders who invest in the latest sustainable technologies in the construction process can recoup those
costs over time in the form of decreased building operation costs as a result of greater energy efficiency.
Construction firms today need to recognize that sustainable construction is becoming a greater and
greater concern. It is estimated that the buildings in a country consume 40% of the energy consumed
there on a yearly basis. As a result, these are huge energetic and efficiency gains to be made as more
and more firms buy into the importance of sustainable construction.

The Role of Government in Sustainable Construction

Regulators play a significant role in sustainable construction by creating the right incentives for
companies that choose to build in a sustainable way. Firms that do so on their own should be
celebrated, and individuals have the opportunity to “vote with their wallet” when it comes to hiring
firms that adhere to sustainability principles in projects. At the same time, the government can legislate
and create mandates that require firms to build in a sustainable way.

Currently, several states are offering tax incentives or exemptions for construction firms that use
sustainable practices. In Nevada, construction materials for buildings that are certified as sustainable
through LEED can be purchased with a tax exemption. In Cincinnati, Ohio, property tax exemptions are
offered on newly constructed buildings that meet minimum LEED guidelines. These exemptions allow
construction firms to invest in creating more sustainable infrastructure and create a net benefit for
every stakeholder, including the community and the environment.

Sustainability and Green Construction

Green construction goes a step further than sustainability and asks how we can minimize our
environmental impact in the construction process, and in certain cases, how we can offset the impact
that we do have. Green construction sets an elevated standard when it comes to sustainability, looking
for sustainable construction materials and methods that are carbon-neutral or that engage renewable
energy sources now and into the future.

Sustainable construction materials are building materials made from recycled products and resources
that can be replenished in a relatively short amount of time. There are many types of sustainable
construction materials, often referred to as green building products. Lumber, stone, metal and paper are
materials that can be recycled and re-used as building products. Bamboo, cork, straw and even coconut
are examples of construction products that can be renewed quickly.
Reclaimed lumber is the most widely used recycled material used for green building. Lumber is taken
from old structures, treated and re-sized for use on other projects. Using reclaimed lumber preserves
timber and saves energy because fewer resources are used to recycle the lumber than would be used to
harvest, treat, plane and transport new lumber. Recycled lumber can be more expensive than first-use
lumber because of the costs associated with reclaiming and treating it. Reclaimed lumber can also
contain chemicals from previous treatments, which might be harmful to the environment.

Nearly any natural materials, including stone, metal and concrete, can be reclaimed and used as
sustainable construction materials. The advantages and disadvantages of using them are similar to those
related to using reclaimed lumber. One of the biggest concerns with using recycled natural products is
the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs can be present in the reclaimed materials as a
result of things such as paints, stains and other chemical treatments, especially those applied before
Easily renewable products such as bamboo and cork are becoming more common as sustainable
construction materials. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is being used more frequently in sustainable
building designs. It replenishes quickly because of its rapid growth cycle and is versatile in its application.
Bamboo is used most frequently as flooring and to reinforce concrete. More and more homes and
building are being constructed from bamboo.

Cork also is gaining popularity as a sustainable construction material. Harvesting cork requires the
removal of the bark from the tree but does not require that the entire tree be cut down. Cork makes a
flooring material that is becoming more common in residences around the world.

There are many innovations being made in sustainable construction materials. Homes made of bales of
straw are being built, as are structures constructed entirely of recycled rubber tires. Some buildings have
even been built using glass bottles or cans. Baked earth and clay and new concrete forms are also being
used more often as sustainable construction materials.stricter environmental standards were in place.

Wool Bricks
Developed by Spanish and Scottish researchers with an aim to ‘obtain a composite that was
more sustainable, non-toxic, using abundant local materials that would mechanically improve
the bricks’ strength’, these wool bricks are exactly what the name suggests. Simply by adding
wool and a natural polymer found in seaweed to the clay of the brick, the brick is 37% stronger
than other bricks, and more resistant to the cold wet climate often found in Britain. They also
dry hard, reducing the embodied energy as they don’t need to be fired like traditional bricks.

Solar Tiles
Traditional roof tiles are either mined from the ground or set from concrete or clay – all energy
intensive methods. Once installed, they exist to simply protect a building from the elements
despite the fact that they spend a large portion of the day absorbing energy from the sun. With
 this in mind, many companies are now developing solar tiles. Unlike most solar units which are
fixed on top of existing roofing, solar tiles are fully integrated into the building, protecting it
from the weather and generating power for its inhabitants.

Sustainable Concrete

Whilst 95% of a building’s CO2 emissions are a result of the energy consumed during its life, there is
much that can be done to reduce that 5% associated with construction. Concrete is an ideal place to
start, partly because almost every building uses it, but mostly due to the fact that concrete is
responsible for a staggering 7-10% of global CO2 emissions. More sustainable forms of concrete exist
that use recycled materials in the mix. Crushed glass can be added, as can wood chips or slag – a
byproduct of steel manufacturing. Whilst these changes aren’t radically transforming concrete, by
simply using a material that would have otherwise gone to waste, the CO2 emissions associated with
concrete are reduced.

4. PaMade from recycled newspapers and cardboard, paper-based insulation is a superior alternative to
chemical foams. Both insect resistant and fire-retardant thanks to the inclusion of borax, boric acid, and
calcium carbonate (all completely natural materials that have no associations with health problems),
paper insulation can be blown into cavity walls, filling every crack and creating an almost draft-free
space.

5. Triple-Glazed Windowsper Insulation

In fact, super-efficient windows would better describe this particular building material. The three layers
of glass do a better job of stopping heat from leaving the building, with fully insulated window frames
further contributing. In most double-glazed windows, the gas argon is injected between each layer of
glass to aid insulation, but in these super-efficient windows, krypton – a better, but more expensive
insulator – is used. In addition to this, low-emissivity coatings are applied to the glass, further preventing
heat from escaping.

A building that combined all five of these methods would be an admirably sustainable option for
housing. Whilst the construction industry tends to progress at a slow pace, the importance of
sustainability is a high profile issue, and one which is only likely to increase. With sustainable building
materials already fully developed, it is now up to consumers to actively demand their use and building
developers to respond promptly.

1. Straw Bales

Rather than relying on new research and technology, straw bale building hearkens back to the days
when homes were built from natural, locally-occurring materials. Straw bales are used to create a
home’s walls inside of a frame, replacing other building materials such as concrete, wood, gypsum,
plaster, fiberglass, or stone. When properly sealed, straw bales naturally provide very high levels of
insulation for a hot or cold climate, and are not only affordable but sustainable as straw is a rapidly
renewable resource.

2. Grasscrete
As its name might indicate, grasscrete is a method of laying concrete flooring, walkways, sidewalks, and
driveways in such a manner that there are open patterns allowing grass or other flora to grow. While
this provides the benefit of reducing concrete usage overall, there’s also another important perk —
improved stormwater absorption and drainage

3. Rammed Earth

What’s more natural than the dirt under your feet? In fact, walls that have a similar feel to concrete can
actually be created with nothing more than dirt tamped down very tightly in wooden forms. Rammed
earth is a technology that has been used by human civilization for thousands of years, and can last a very
long time. Modern rammed earth buildings can be made safer by use of rebar or bamboo, and
mechanical tampers reduce the amount of labor required to create sturdy walls.

4. HempCrete

HempCrete is just what it sounds like – a concrete like material created from the woody inner fibers of
the hemp plant. The hemp fibers are bound with lime to create concrete-like shapes that are strong and
light. HempCrete blocks are super-lightweight, which can also dramatically reduce the energy used to
transport the blocks, and hemp itself is a fast-growing, renewable resource.

5. Bamboo

Bamboo might seem trendy, but it has actually been a locally-sourced building material in some regions
of the world for millennia. What makes bamboo such a promising building material for modern buildings
is its combination of tensile strength, light weight, and fast-growing renewable nature. Used for framing
buildings and shelters, bamboo can replace expensive and heavy imported materials and provide an
alternative to concrete and rebar construction, especially in difficult-to reach areas, post-disaster
rebuilding, and low-income areas with access to natural locally-sourced bamboo.

6. Recycled Plastic

Instead of mining, extracting, and milling new components, researchers are creating concrete that
includes ground up recycled plastics and trash, which not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but
reduces weight and provides a new use for landfill-clogging plastic waste.

7. Wood

Plain old wood still retains many advantages over more industrial building materials like concrete or
steel. Not only do trees absorb CO2 as they grow, they require much less energy-intensive methods to
process into construction products. Properly managed forests are also renewable and can ensure a
biodiverse habitat.

Mycelium

Mycelium is a crazy futuristic building material that’s actually totally natural – it comprises the root
structure of fungi and mushrooms. Mycelium can be encouraged to grow around a composite of other
natural materials, like ground up straw, in molds or forms, then air-dried to create lightweight and
strong bricks or other shapes.biodiverse habitat.
9. Ferrock

Ferrock is a new material being researched that uses recycled materials including steel dust from the
steel industry to create a concrete-like building material that is even stronger than concrete. What’s
more, this unique material actually absorbs and traps carbon dioxide as part of its drying and hardening
process – making it not only less CO2 intensive than traditional concrete, but actually carbon neutral.

10. AshCrete

AshCrete is a concrete alternative that uses fly ash instead of traditional cement. By using fly ash, a by-
product of burning coal, 97 percent of traditional components in concrete can be replaced with recycled
material.

11. Timbercrete

Timbercrete is an interesting building material made of sawdust and concrete mixed together. Since it is
lighter than concrete, it reduces transportation emissions, and the sawdust both reuses a waste product
and replaces some of the energy-intensive components of traditional concrete. Timbercrete can be
formed into traditional shapes such as blocks, bricks, and pavers.

Sustainable building design and construction is the practice of creating structures and using processes
that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient throughout the life cycle of a building– from
selecting the site to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and finally,
deconstruction.

Sustainability is a broad term describing a desire to carry out activities without depleting resources or
having harmful impacts, defined by the Brundtland Commission as 'meeting the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.'

Sustainable construction materials are building materials made from recycled products and resources
that can be replenished in a relatively short amount of time. There are many types of sustainable
construction materials, often referred to as green building products. Lumber, stone, metal and paper are
materials that can be recycled and re-used as building products. Bamboo, cork, straw and even coconut
are examples of construction products that can be renewed quickly.

Nearly any natural materials, including stone, metal and concrete, can be reclaimed and used as
sustainable construction materials.

The current industry standard for sustainable construction is LEED construction. Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design has been the standard for sustainable construction practices since its
inception in 1994 – it promotes a system of sustainable construction that goes above and beyond
minimum building codes to ensure that new buildings will not only be functional today, they will also be
sustainable into the future, energy efficient, and made from responsibly sourced materials.

Builders who invest in the latest sustainable technologies in the construction process can recoup those
costs over time in the form of decreased building operation costs as a result of greater energy efficiency.
Construction firms today need to recognize that sustainable construction is becoming a greater and
greater concern. It is estimated that the buildings in a country consume 40% of the energy consumed
there on a yearly basis. As a result, these are huge energetic and efficiency gains to be made as more
and more firms buy into the importance of sustainable construction.

That said, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, and even the type of paint used are
all components of sustainable design – and are becoming increasing important to consider. But equally
important is being cognisant of the building site and the need to minimise the impact on the ecosystem
considering waste reduction and recycling, and using more sustainable materials in construction.

How to make construction waste sustainable?

Following are the steps which need to be followed to make construction waste more sustainable:

Eliminate – avoid producing construction waste in the first place.

Reduce – minimize the amount of waste you produce.

Reuse – reuse the construction wastes in other works.

Recover (recycling, composting, energy) – recycle what you can only after you have reused it.

Dispose – dispose of what is left in a responsible way.

Use of durable construction materials and quality control at site for durability of structure is one step
towards minimization of construction waste generation.