MODULE-4 :

Green Tech – Green Building

Materials
GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS CHARACTERISTICS:
1. Renewable rather than non-renewable resources
2. Environmentally responsible because their impacts are considered over the life of
the product.
3. Result in reduced maintenance and replacement costs over the life of the building
4. Conserve energy
5. Improve occupant health and productivity.
6. Increased energy efficiency
7. Aesthetic appeal .

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS SELECTION CRITERIA :

1. Naturally, plentilly available
2. Resource efficient manufacturing process i.e. Reducing energy consumption,
minimizing waste and reducing greenhouse gases.
3. Reused and recycled content,
4. Minimal environmental impact during its manufacture or treatment
5. Zero or low off-gassing of harmful air emissions,
6. Zero or low toxicity,
7. Sustainably
8. Reduce energy consumption
9. Water Conservation potential
10. Rapidly renewable harvested materials,
11. High recyclability,
12. Durability, longevity
13. Local production .
14. Affordability

CONSIDERATION BEFORE CHOICE OF MATERIALS

Green materials are environmentally responsible because their impacts are considered over
the life time of the building. Points to think before choosing building materials:
1. Is there really a need? – Is the renovation fixing a fitting that is worn out, or just
replacing a feature that is currently unfashionable?

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 2. Can recycled materials be used? Recycled, re-used materials have low
environmental impact and can add character to the building.
3. How to minimise the amount of waste? - Careful planning and packaging
4. Material replacement - Many building materials need to be replaced over time.
Design your building so they can be replaced easily and with a minimum of waste.
5. How to build durable? – Replacing materials less often, means a lower
environmental impact. When building, choose materials made of low-impact
materials that will last a long time (durable).

CATEGORIES OF GREEN MATERIALS

1. ECO-FRIENDLY NATURAL MATERIALS – Materials that are naturally available as natural

resources. They are environmentally safe and non-polluting is nature. The materials
common to many types of natural building are clay and sand. When mixed with water
and, usually, straw or another fiber, the mixture may form cob or adobe (clay blocks).
Other materials commonly used in natural building are: earth (as rammed earth or earth
bag), wood (cordwood or timber frame/post-and-beam), straw, rice-hulls, bamboo and
stone. One-half of the world’s population lives or works in buildings constructed of
earth. Straw bale construction is now gaining in popularity .

2. SALVAGED OR REUSED MATERIALS are buildings materials recovered from existing

buildings or construction sites and reused. Common salvaged materials include
furniture, doors, cabinetry, brick and tiles. Excavated earth & stones shall not be
considered under ‘Reuse of Salvaged Materials, as these are natural resources.

3. REFURBISHED MATERIALS are products that could have been disposed of as solid
waste.These products have completed their life cycle as consumer items and are then
refurbished for reuse without substantial alteration of their form. Refurbishing includes
renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the appearance, performance,
quality, functionality, or value of a product.
4. RECYCLED CONTENT is the content in a material or product derived from recycled
materials versus virgin materials. Recycled content can be materials from recycling
programs (post-consumer) or waste materials from the production process or an
industrial/agricultural source (pre-consumer or post-industrial).
5. LOCAL MATERIALS are those which are manufactured within a distance of 400 km.
Assembly of building materials shall not be considered.
6. RAPIDLY RENEWABLE MATERIALS are agricultural products that take 10 years or less to
harvest.
7. CONSTRUCTION WASTE here refers to civil & interior building waste.Excavated earth &
stones should not be considered under this credit, as these are natural
resources.Temporary materials such as materials used for formwork, scaffolding, etc.,
shall not be considered.

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8. PASSIVE PRODUCTS & MATERIALS include glazing, insulation, paints & coatings,
adhesives & sealants, flyash blocks, cement, concrete, composite wood, certified new
wood, housekeeping chemicals,false ceiling materials, flooring materials, furniture,
gypsum based products, high reflective materials & coatings, etc.,
9. ACTIVE PRODUCTS include Electrical systems (Lighting Systems & Controls, Pumps &
Motors, etc.,), Mechanical systems (unitary air conditioners, etc.,), Plumbing Fixtures
(faucets, showers, etc.,)
10. NON-GREEN MATERIALS - Several materials are increasingly avoided due to their major
negative environmental or health impacts. These include unsustainably harvested wood,
toxic wood-preservatives, Portland cement-based mixes, paints and other coatings that
off-gas volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and some plastics, particularly polyvinyl
chloride (PVC or "vinyl") and those containing harmful plasticizers or hormone-
mimicking formulations .

GREEN MATERIALS LIST

1. Rock - Rock structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest
lasting building material available, and is usually readily available. There are many types
of rock throughout the world all with differing attributes that make them better or
worse for particular uses. Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too,
its main draw-back as a material is its weight and awkwardness. Its energy density is also
considered a big draw-back, as stone is hard to keep warm without using large amounts
of heating resources. Mostly stone buildings can be seen in most major cities, some
civilizations built entirely with stone such as the Pyramids in Egypt, the Aztec Pyramid
and the remains of the Inca civilization.
2. Thatch - Thatch is one of the oldest of building materials known, grass is a good insulator
and easily harvested. Many African tribes have lived in homes made completely of
grasses year round. In Europe, thatch roofs on homes were once prevalent but the
material fell out of favour as industrialization and improved transport increased the
availability of other materials. Today, though, the practice is undergoing a revival. In the
Netherlands, for instance, many of new builds too have thatched roofs with special ridge
tiles on top.
3. Straw bale - Straw is a renewable resource that acts as excellent insulation and is fairly
easy to build with. Care must be taken to assure that the straw is kept dry, or it will
eventually rot. For this reason it is generally best to allow a straw bale wall to remain
breathable; any moisture barrier will invite condensation to collect and undermine the
structure. Other possible concerns with straw bale walls are infestation of rodents or
insects, so the skin on the straw should resist these critters. There are two major
categories of building with straw bales: load-bearing and non-load bearing. A post and
beam framework that supports the basic structure of the building, with the bales of
straw used as infill, is the most common non-load bearing approach. This is also the only
way that many building authorities will allow.
While there are many load- bearing straw bale buildings that are standing just fine, care

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 must be taken to consider the possible settling of the straw bales as the weight of the
roof, etc. compresses them. Erecting bale walls can go amazingly quickly, and does not
take a lot of skill, but then the rest of the creation of the building is similar to any other
wood framed house.
In fact straw bale houses typically only save about 15% of the wood used in a
conventionally framed house. The cost of finishing a straw bale house can often exceed
that of standard construction, because of the specialized work that goes into plastering
both sides of the walls. The result is often worth it though, because of the superior
insulation and wall depth that is achieved.

4. Wood - Wood is a product of trees and sometimes other fibrous plants, used for
construction purposes when cut or pressed into lumber and timber, such as boards,
planks and similar materials. It is a generic building material and is used in building just
about any type of structure in most climates. Wood can be very flexible under loads,
keeping strength while bending and is incredibly strong when compressed vertically.
There are many differing qualities to the different types of wood, even among same tree
species. This means specific species are better for various uses than others. Growing
conditions are important for deciding quality. Historically, wood for building large
structures was used in its unprocessed form as logs. The trees were just cut to the
needed length, sometimes stripped of bark and then notched or lashed into place. In
earlier times and in some parts of the world, many country homes or communities had a
personal wood-lot from which the family or community would grow and harvest trees to
build with. These lots would be tended to like a garden.
A. Cordwood construction -
It is also called "cordwood masonry", "stackwall construction", "stovewood
construction" or "stackwood construction" . It is a term used for a natural building
method in which "cordwood" or short pieces of debarked tree are laid up crosswise
with masonry or cob mixtures to build a wall.
Cordwood is a combination of small remnants of firewood and other lumber that
usually go to waste. These small blocks of wood can easily be put together to make a
structure that, like stone, has great insulation as well as thermal mass. Cordwood
provides the rustic look of log cabins without the use of tons of lumber. You can
build an entire building with just cordwood or use stones to fill in the walls.

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 B. Timber frame House -
Timber framing uses wood to build and frame the house. The timber frames are
each individually handcrafted to suit the location in the home, then transported
there for erection. The homes are usually sheathed in stress skin, which is a great
insulating material, making the homes very energy efficient.

C. Engineered wood-
Engineered wood also called composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured
board, includes a range of derivative wood products (plywood , densified wood ,
fibre board , particle board , oriented strand board , laminnated veneer atc ) which
are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, sawmill scraps and other wood
waste particles, fibres, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives , or
other methods of fixation to form composite materials .
Alternatively, it is also possible to manufacture similar engineered bamboo from
bamboo; and similar engineered cellulosic products from other lignin -containing
materials such as rye straw, wheat straw, rice straw, hemp stalks, kenaf stalks, or
sugar cane recidues , in which case they contain no actual wood but rather vegetable
fibres .
They are designed to meet application-specific performance requirements , are
versatile , maximize the natural strength and stiffness , are easy to work with ,
make more efficient use of wood as they use small pieces of wood, wood that has
defects or underutilized species thus advocating sustainable design.

5. Steel frame house - Steel framing goes up in much the same way that lumber does, but
with a lot more strength and integrity, perfect for homes in areas prone to natural
disasters. Not to mention the fact that steel frames are also extremely stable, so you
don’t have to worry about drywall cracks, or about problems with the house settling.

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6. Bamboo - Bamboo 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. Bamboo produces
more oxygen and absorbs more carbon dioxide, which is very ideal in combating global
climate change. Apart from that, Bamboo is easily grown and harvested, making it one
of the most cost-effective construction materials to date.

7. Grasscloth Wallpaper - Grasscloth wallpaper is handmade wallpaper with natural

grasses (fibres) that are woven together with thin coated thread and adhered to a rice
paper backing. Grasscloth wallpaper creates warmth with its appealing real texture. It is
made with natural materials like hemp, jute, sisal, arrowroot, reed or sea glass etc.
These natural fibres are hand-woven together using cotton threads and fixed on a thin
rice paper backing. Grasscloth wallpaper absorbs sound and covers wall imperfections. It
has high cost as compared to other traditional wallpapers. Grasscloth wallpaper is used
in home, offices, music room, study room, master bedroom and bathroom. This
wallpaper is not installed in the children room because it can be easily torn. After its use,
it can be recycled and hence is a green building material.
8. Earth constructions
Mud and clay - The amount of each material used leads to different styles of buildings.
The deciding factor is usually connected with the quality of the soil being used. Larger
amounts of clay usually mean using the cob/adobe style, while low clay soil is usually
associated with sod building. The other main ingredients include more or less
sand/gravel and straw grasses. Soil and especially clay is good thermal mass; it is very

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 good at keeping temperatures at a constant level. Homes built with earth tend to be
naturally cool in the summer heat and warm in cold weather. Clay holds heat or cold,
releasing it over a period of time like stone. Earthen walls change temperature slowly, so
artificially raising or lowering the temperature can use more resources than in say a
wood built house, but the heat/coolness stays longer. Peoples building with mostly dirt
and clay, such as cob, sod, and adobe, resulted in homes that have been built for
centuries in western and northern Europe as well as the rest of the world, and continue
to be built, though on a smaller scale.
A. Cob houses -
Cob houses have been around for hundreds of years and still in good condition. Cob
houses are built of a mixture of clay, earth, sand, water, and fibers like straw that
have been kneaded and stomped into a tough mixture that can be used to erect
homes in a variety of different shapes and sizes. A home made of cob will usually
have walls about 2-feet thick, which helps keep energy costs down by insulating the
home.Cob houses can be very labor intensive to put up, but are also extremely
cheap to build.

B. Adobe-
Adobe means mud brick in Spanish & is referred to any kind of earth construction. It
is among the earliest building materials made from earth and other organic
materials. Most adobe buildings are similar in appearance to cob and rammed earth
buildings. A mixture of sand, clay, and water is poured into a mould and left in the
sun to dry. When dried, it is exceptionally strong and heat-resistant thus providing
excellent insulation during the summer to reduce energy costs. But it is not very
waterproof and can be dangerous in earth-quake prone areas due to its tendency to
crack easily. It is cheap, easy to obtain, and ideal for hot environments.

C. Rammed earth -
Walls that have a similar feel to concrete can actually be created with nothing more
than dirt tamped down very tightly in wooden forms. Very little water is used during
construction, so almost 3 m high walls can be built in a day. Traditionally, rammed
earth buildings are common in arid regions where wood is in scarce supply. It has

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 been used by human civilization from a very long time. Most of the Great Wall of
China is either rammed earth or has a large component of rammed earth as its base.
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.
Rammed earth provides several advantages such as superior thermal mass,
temperature and noise control, strength and durability, low manufacturing impacts ,
low maintenance, fire proofing, load bearing and pest deterrence. In terms of
aesthetics, rammed earth offers a natural and eco-friendly environmental ambience
because of its natural color made by aggregated earth substances.

D. Light Earth or Straw Clay -

A combination of cob and rammed earth, this involves coating loose straw or other
fibrous material with a clay slip that is rammed tightly in layers into a timber frame.
The walls are allowed to dry before final plastering takes place. It is lighter than cob
and has a higher insulation value, but is not as strong and must only be used as an
infill with the timber frame. Light earth has also been used between rafters as roof
insulation, and as insulation underneath earthen floors.

E. Brush structures : Wattle & Daub -

Brush structures are built entirely from plant parts and were used in primitive
cultures .These are built mostly with branches, twigs and leaves, and bark, similar to
a beaver's lodge. This gives the structure more thermal mass and strength.
Expanding on the natural green building concept of brush construction, “WATTLE” is
a method of weaving branches into lattice-like walls or fences. “DAUB,” referring to
mud, clay-bearing soil, or animal dung, is filled into and layered over the brush or
wattle. Wattle and daub may also be used for non-load bearing walls, filling in
between stronger structural branches or timbers. Daub provides more thermal mass
and strength to the brush structure and animal dung is especially appreciated by
some native cultures for its waterproofing quality. It does not have the super-
insulation properties of straw-bale or clay-straw, but provides good thermal mass.

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 F. Poured earth -
Poured earth is similar to ordinary concrete, in that it is mixed and formed like
concrete and uses portland cement as a binder. The main difference is that instead
of the sand/gravel used as an aggregate in concrete, poured earth uses ordinary soil
(although this soil needs to meet certain specifications) and generally uses less
portland cement. Poured earth could be considered a “moderate strength concrete.”
Little to no maintenance is required of poured earth walls, since they have a high
resistance to the deteriorating effects of water and sun.
When natural or synthetic fly ash and lime is added to the poured earth mixture, the
amount of Portland cement required can be reduced by up to 50%.Magnesium oxide
can also be used to help further reduce the use of Portland cement. Since poured
earth is similar to concrete, local suppliers can provide the product which can then
be pumped using traditional concrete pump trucks. Standard concrete forms can be
used in preparation for the pour.
It is possible to incorporate rigid insulation within a poured earth wall, so that there
is a thermal break between the exterior and the interior, thus allowing the interior
portion of the wall to serve as appropriate thermal mass for the building. Generally,
poured earth walls increase the overall cost of construction by 10% – 20%, mainly
because of the custom nature of the process. When more homes are built, then the
economy of scale should make this method competitive with traditional building.
G. Earthbag construction -
Building with earth bags (sometimes called sandbags) is both old and new. Sandbags
have long been used, particularly by the military for creating strong, protective
barriers, or for flood control. The same reasons that make them useful for these
applications carry over to creating housing: the walls are massive and substantial,
they resist all kinds of severe weather (or even bullets and bombs), and they can be
erected simply and quickly with readily available components.
The technique requires sturdy sacks filled with organic material of enough internal
stability usually available on site. Either moist subsoil that contains enough clay to
become cohesive when tamped, or a water-resistant angular gravel or crushed
volcanic rock is used. Walls are gradually built up by laying the bags in courses—
forming a staggered pattern similar to bricklaying. To improve friction between bags
and wall tensile strength barbed wire is usually placed between courses. Twine is
also sometimes wrapped around the bags to tie one course to the next, to hold in-
progress structures together and keep courses well-seated on barbed wire prongs.
Rebar can be hammered into walls to strengthen courses and opening edges and
provide resistance against overturning. Burlap bags were traditionally used for this

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 purpose, and they work fine until they eventually rot. Newer polypropylene bags
have superior strength and durability, as long as they are kept away from too much
sunlight. For permanent housing the bags should be covered with some kind of
plaster for protection.

H. Earth ships-
Passive solar houses, which use earth packed recycled car tyres as the buildings
walls.Whatever temperature goes into an Earthship, it will hold and since it is also a
Passive Solar House, it is also very tight and interacts only with the sun and the earth
for heating and cooling, providing stable comfort year round in any climate. This
results in being able to provide a sustainable home that can be built in any part of
the world, in any climate (with a permit) and still provide electricity, potable water,
contained sewage treatment and sustainable food production.

I. Earth sheltering-
A building can be described as earth-sheltered if its external envelope is in contact
with a thermally significant volume of soil or substrate (where “thermally
significant” means making a functional contribution to the thermal effectiveness of
the building in question.) to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a steady indoor
air temperature.
Types
a) Earth berming: Earth is piled up against exterior walls and packed, sloping
down away from the house. The roof may or may not be fully earth covered,
and windows/openings may occur on one or more sides of the shelter. Due to
the building being above ground, fewer moisture problems are associated with
earth berming in comparison to underground/fully recessed construction.

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 b) In-hill construction: The house is set into a slope or hillside facing towards the
equator. There is only one exposed wall in this type of earth sheltering, the wall
facing out of the hill, all other walls are embedded within the earth/hill.
c) Underground/fully recessed construction: The ground is excavated, and the
house is set in below grade. It can also be referred to as an Atrium style due to
the common atrium/courtyard constructed in the middle of the shelter to
provide adequate light and ventilation.

EARTH BERMING IN-HILL FULLY RECESSED

9. Yurts or Gers - the semi-permanent nomadic tents of Inner Asia, that utilise local wood,
wool and canvas, to literally live on, with the land.

10. Sawdust - Sawdust is a good material to combine with clay or cement mixtures and use
for walls. These walls turn out surprisingly sturdy and effectively recycle any trees that
may need to be excavated from the building area. Depending what type of sawdust used
(hardwood is best) the wood chips in the walls absorb moisture and help prevent
cracking during freeze/thaw cycles. Sawdust may be combined with water and frozen to
produce a material commonly known as pykrete, which is strong, and less prone to
melting than regular ice.
11. Grasscrete - It is a method of laying concrete flooring in such a manner that there are
open patterns allowing grass or other flora to grow. Also known as “Sustainable Urban
Drainage”, Grasscrete is a green alternative to standard concrete surfaces for parking
lots, driveway and other access roads giving drainage benefits and improving
stormwater absorption. It drains at about the same rate (90%) as would an ordinary

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 lawn in the same location with 47% concrete and 53% holes filled with grass, it will help
to form a natural bio-filter to significantly remove pollutants.

12. HempCrete - HempCrete is just what it sounds like – a concrete like material created
from the woody inner fibers of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa plant )with lime to
create concrete-like shapes that are strong and light. They dramatically reduce the
energy used to transport the blocks. It is naturally airtight yet breathable and flexible
insulation. HempCrete is also mold free and pest resistant as well as nearly fireproof.
Considered as a sustainable building material, hemp can be grown and replenished
relatively quick.

13. Papercrete - Papercrete is essentially a type of industrial strength paper maché made
with re-pulped paper and cardboard fibre 60% , sand 20% and Portland cement 20% .
When it hardens up, papercrete is lightweight (its 80 percent air), an excellent insulator ,
holds its shape even when wet, and is remarkably strong (compressive strength ). And,
since it contains paper fibers, it has considerable tensile strength as well as compressive
strength.It is suitable for making low cost homes with limited longevity and durability
like community rooms, sale booths, storage rooms etc. It can be sprayed on walls to
give them good sound and heat insulating properties.Some of its disadvantages are poor
moisture resistance, ,susceptibility to termite and mould , disintegrates when exposed
to water for prolonged periods of time , low longevity , expands and contracts
frequently leading to cracks and buckling , poor tensile strength.

14. Timbercrete - A combination between timber waste from various sources and concrete
results in what you would call a Timbercrete – a green material that is lighter that solid
concrete with greater strength and insulating capabilities. This green material provides
unique thermal qualities that combine thermal mass and insulation. Timbercrete is also
bushfire proof, which allows minimal heat transfer and radiation. The other benefit is
that this material is very user-friendly, which can be nailed, screwed and sawn easily by
anyone.

15. Recycled Plastic - Plastics are one of the most energy-efficient materials over their
entire life-cycle because the typical lifespan of plastic applications in building and
construction is up to 30 to 50 years. Instead of mining, extracting, and milling new
components, researchers are creating concrete that includes ground up recycled plastics

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 and trash, which not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions, but reduces weight and
provides a new use for landfill-clogging plastic waste.

16. Recycled Steel -Producing and smelting steel takes a lot of energy & that’s one of the
reasons recycled steel has become an enormously popular green building material. It
utilizes steel already in existence for structural use in a home, in beams and girders, for
example. The reclaimed steel from six junked cars provides enough recycled steel to
build a 2000-square-foot house. Recycling saves 75 percent of the energy costs utilized
in making the steel.

17. Recycled or reclaimed wood - Reclaimed or recycled wood has much less of an
environmental impact than harvesting new timber. Since many homes and other
structures have used wood for several years, it’s relatively easy to reclaim those
structures for new home building. Wood can be used in the construction of a home —
reclaimed and recycled wood can also be used to make unique floors or exposed beams
with an antique look.

18. Fabric - The tent used to be the home of choice among nomadic groups the world over.
Two well known types include the conical teepee and the circular yurt. Fabric structures
are forms of constructed fibers that provide end users a variety of aesthetic free-form
building designs. Custom-made fabric structures are engineered and fabricated to meet
worldwide structural, flame retardant, weather-resistant, and natural force
requirements. Fabric structures are considered a sub-category of tensile structure. Most
fabric structures are composed of actual fabric rather than meshes or films. Typically,
the fabric is coated and laminated with synthetic materials for increased strength,
durability, and environmental resistance. Among the most widely used materials are
cotton canvas , polyesters laminated or coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and woven
fiberglass coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

19. Ceramics - Ceramics used to be just a specialized form of clay-pottery firing in kilns, but
it has evolved into more technical areas though kiln firing is still usually a major step in
its creation. Ceramics tend to be more water resistant and heat resistant than other
types of pottery, due to its high firing temperature. Ceramics often are used to make
such things as tiles, fixtures, etc. Ceramics are mostly used as fixtures, ceramic floors,
walls, counter-tops, even ceilings. Many countries use ceramic roofing tiles to cover
many buildings. Other uses of ceramics include international space programs, which

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 have used ceramic tiles to cover the undersides of space craft such as the space shuttle
program, high temperature engines and dental implants and synthetic bones.

20. Plant-Based Polyurethane Rigid Foam - Plant-based polyurethane rigid & relatively
immovable foam is often used as insulation material in building. It’s made from kelp,
hemp and bamboo. It offers protection against mold and pests, as well as sound
insulation and heat resistance. They minimize the environmental impact and can
insulate homes well, promoting energy efficiency and reducing reliance on
unsustainable resources like oil and natural gas. It is usually used as part of a structural
insulated panel where the foam is sandwiched between wood and cement.

21. Limestone - Limestone is perhaps the most prevalent building material obtained through
mining. It is used as a cladding material and plays an important role in the production of
a wide range of building products. Concrete and plaster are obvious examples of
products that rely on limestone; less obvious is the use of limestone in steel and glass
production. An abundant natural resource, limestone is found throughout the world.
Most limestone is crushed at the quarry, then converted to lime, by burning, at another
location. The burning of limestone creates sulfide emissions, a major contributor to acid
rain. Limestone (primarily calcium carbonate) is converted to quicklime (calcium oxide)
through prolonged exposure to high heat. This removes water and carbon from the
stone and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The quicklime is then crushed
and screened. Before it can be used in plaster or cement, it must be mixed with water
and then dried. The hydrated lime then becomes an ingredient in concrete, plaster, and
mortar.
22. Glass - Glass making is considered an art form as well as an industrial process or
material. Clear windows have been used since the invention of glass to cover small
openings in a building. They provided humans with the ability to both let light into
rooms while at the same time keeping inclement weather outside. Glass is generally
made from mixtures of sand and silicates, in a very hot fire stove called a kiln and is very
brittle. Very often additives are added to the mixture when making to produce glass
with shades of colors or various characteristics (such as bullet proof glass or light
emittence).The use of glass in architectural buildings has become very popular in the
modern culture. Glass “curtain walls” can be used to cover the entire facade of a
building, or it can be used to span over a wide roof structure in a “space frame”. These

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 uses though require some sort of frame to hold sections of glass together, as glass by its
self is too brittle and would require an overly large kiln to be used to span such large
areas by itself.
23. Precast Concrete - Concrete is a material that can be recycled, making it an appropriate
choice for eco-friendly homes. Also, pre-cast concrete is eco-friendlier than concrete
poured on site. It is poured into pre-made molds over rebar or wire, then cured. Once
the concrete has hardened, it can be shipped and placed into multiple structures. As a
result, precast concrete achieves economies of scale that concrete which is poured on-
site cannot.

24. PVC House - PVC is a hard type of plastic already used in most homes as part of the
plumbing pipes or sink traps. It can also be used to frame and build a home. PVC is very
stable, and can last for as long as 20 years without any maintenance, which can be a
major material & money saver for homeowners.

25. Fly ash - Fly ash offers environmental advantages, it also improve the performance and
quality of concrete. Fly ash affects the plastic properties of concrete by improving
workability, reducing water demand, reducing segregation and bleeding and lowering
heat of hydration. Fly ash increases strength, reduces permeability, reduces corrosion of
reinforcing steel, increases sulphate resistance and reduces alkali-aggregate reaction.
Provide higher strength, fly ash continues to combine with free lime, increasing
compressive strength over time.
26. ECO surfaces - Tire rubber recycled into indoor/outdoor flooring and surfacing. They are:
• Slip resistant
• Weather resistance
• Meets indoor air quality emissions standards
• Can be purchased as tiles, interlocking pavers and sheets and in many colors

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27. Fly ash-Stone Powder-Cement Bricks - Fly ash-Stone Powder-Cement Bricks are
manufactured by mixing weighed amount of fly ash, cement and size stone powder in a
mixer and molded in bricks making machine. Fly Ash can be used in the range of 40-70%.
The other ingredients are lime, gypsum (/cement), sand, stone dust/chips etc. Minimum
compressive strength (28 days) of 70 kg/cm2 can easily be achieved and this can go upto
250 Kg/cm2 (in autoclaved type). Advantage of cement bricks over burnt clay
bricks
• Lower requirement of mortar in construction
• Plastering over brick can be avoided
• Controlled dimensions, edges, smooth and fine finish and can be in different
colors using pigments
• Cost effective, energy-efficient and environment friendly (as avoids the use
of fertile clay)
28. Cast-in-situ fly ash walls
• Using high fly ash cast-in-situ walls can be built.
• By using this system we can achieve
• 20 pre cent economy,
• Quicker construction,
• Good finish on both the sides of the wall(which eliminates plastering),
• More carpet area.
• Similar walls can be cast using Fal-G cement.
29. Fly ash-Lime-Gypsum Product named ’Fal-G’ - A process of blending fly ash, lime and
calcined gypsum for making a useful product, named Fal-G has been developed. Fly ash
lime mix is mixed in predetermined properties with calcined gypsum which produces
Fal-G having strong binding proportions and can be used as cement. It can be mixed with
sand and/or aggregate to produce building blocks of any desired strength.

30. 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.

31. Reinforced Fiber Concrete / Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) - Reinforced Fiber Concrete
Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) is concrete containing fibrous material which increases
its structural integrity. It contains short discrete fibers that are uniformly distributed and
randomly oriented. Fibers include steel fibers, glass fiber, synthetic fibers and natural
fibers. Advantages - Improve mix cohesion, improving pump ability over long distances.
Improve freeze-thaw resistance. Improve resistance to explosive palling in case of a
severe fire. Improve impact resistance. Increase resistance to plastic shrinkage during
curing. Improve structural strength and reduce crack widths and control the crack widths
tightly thus improve durability. Reduce steel reinforcement requirements. Improve
ductility.

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32. Rice Husk Ash / Pozzolanas - Rice Husk Ash / Pozzolanas are materials containing silica
and/or alumina mixed with lime and water that set and harden like cement. Rice husks
are a large bio-product .They have increased compressive and flexural strengths,
Reduced permeability, Increased resistance to chemical attack , Increased durability ,
Reduced effects of alkali-silica reactivity. Reduced shrinkage due to particle packing,
making concrete denser. Enhanced workability of concrete. Reduced heat gain through
the walls of buildings. Reduced amount of super plasticizer - Reduced potential for
efflorescence due to reduced calcium hydracids.

33. Tyre Veneer - Rubber tires are essential globally, at all levels of development. Millions
are discarded annually as they wear out relatively fast – this product makes use of
recycling the material into a usable material for various types of applications. It is as an
environmentally responsive flooring material resilient both indoors and outdoors. It can
be used in areas such as sports and recreation, animal housing and high traffic areas
outdoors. A variety of consumer products can be made such as vibration dampeners and
furniture surfaces internally.

34. Cellular Light Weight Concrete - Cellular light Weight concrete (CLC) can be
manufactured by a process involving the mixing of fly ash, cement. These blocks are
especially useful in high rise construction reducing the dead weight of the structure
blocks. M/s. DLF universal ltd., N. Delhi are using these blocks in their construction
projects since two years. Cellular Light Weight Concrete (CLC) blocks are substitute to
bricks and conventional concrete blocks in building with density varying from 800
kg/m3 to 1800 kg/m3.Using CLC walling and roofing panels can also be produced.
Foaming agent and the foam generator, if used for production of CLC with over 25% fly
ash content invites concession on import duty by Govt. of India.
35. Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Blocks- These incredibly lightweight, insulating concrete
blocks are made from concrete that has been mixed with chemicals to cause it to rise
like dough, filling it with air. The mixture is then pressure cooked so that the resulting
blocks are 80% air, but have the durability of true concrete. The blocks can build
extremely energy efficient buildings due to their high insulation rate. Unfortunately,
they are fairly expensive; a home built using this method costs about 20% more than a
traditional stick built home.

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36. Stabilized Mud Fly Ash Bricks - Compacted mud fly ash blocks stabilized with lime,
cement or other chemicals can be easily made. The problem of getting dry fly ash at the
site makes adoption of this technology some what difficult.
37. Clay Fly Ash Bricks - Twenty to fifty per cent fly ash depending upon the quality of the
soil can be mixed with it to produce burnt clay fly ash bricks by conventional or
mechanized processes. Advantages of clay fly ash bricks:
• Fuel requirement is considerably reduced as fly ash contains some
percentage of unburnt carbon.
• Better thermal insulation.
• Cost effective and environment friendly
38. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) - Fast becoming staples of the green building industry
are pre-assembled structural insulated panels, or SIPs, which replace conventional
framing and offer greater energy efficiency, reduced lumber usage, and quicker
construction. SIPs are polystyrene foam sandwiched between oriented strands boards
that provide structural framing, insulation, and exterior sheathing in one piece. They can
be used as floors, walls, and roofs and provide much greater energy efficiency than
insulation in stud walls with an R-value improvement of 15%-40%. A home built from
SIPs can go up in a matter of hours, rather than months. The panels are also extremely
lightweight, and because they are already insulated, the houses tend to be a little more
airtight with fewer air gaps or leaks, which leads to lower utility costs. Keep in mind that
they do cost about 10% more than traditional methods to build, however.

39. Insulated concrete forms -They are constructed of interlocking foam forms that are
hollow inside. Concrete is poured into the centers to give the forms stability. The
insulating foam helps to seal the outer structure and make it more energy efficient. Like
autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, it’s much more expensive than traditional stick
building methods – about 15% more, and many builders have never worked with it, so
finding one that is knowledgeable can be difficult.

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40. Cork - Cork is a great insulating material. It keeps warmer in the winter and cooler in the
summer. The energy efficiency aids in cutting energy bills in the winter. It is much more
energy efficient than either Armstrong laminate flooring or discount wood flooring. Cork
is also good for sound insulation.

41. Wine cork panels - These wall or floor tiles are made by combining recycled granulated
cork with whole wine corks, which you can see as those oblong shapes in the tiles.
Penny tiles cut from recycled wine corks are a popular look for interior flooring. Cork is
pretty versatile, given its credentials as a renewable material. Also it’s an excellent
insulator & sound absorber, hygienic, anti-static, anti-allergenic, water-resistant,
doesn’t entrap dirt or fungi, won’t chip like ceramic when you drop something on it,
plus it is easy to maintain.

42. Plastic wood - Plastic Wood It is made primarily from high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
recovered from the waste stream mainly in the form of used milk containers or
recovered plastic bags, and from wood wastes (often planer shavings) that have been
ground to a fine powder. A 50:50 mixture of plastic and wood is common. Plastic wood
is 100% recyclable made of recycled plastic. Advantages - 100% resistant to rot.
Impervious to cracking and splitting (with correct installation) ,environmentally friendly
and requires less maintenance. Waste plastic and wood is used for manufacturing.
Treated wood exhibits long-term durability in a deck surface application, lasting as long,
or longer, than naturally durable, untreated woods.

43. Cellulose Insulation - Cellulose insulation is natural insulation material. It is made from
recycled newspaper and other recycled paper products. The recycled content is at least
75% or more. This material is better as a sound insulation for reducing the noise in
home. The coverage is more uniform and better at muffling sounds from outside the
home or the next room. e.g. Kitchen noises being heard in the bed room.

44. Sheep’s Wool insulation-Sheep's wool can be regrown quickly & after shearing, sheep
inherently produce a new crop. Its insulating properties and renewability makes sheep’s
wool an energy-efficient insulator in walls, ceilings and attics.

45. Newspaper wood- Newspaper wood is a very elegant and clever super cycled material.
Using a roller, pages of old newspaper are wound together very tightly to resemble a log
of wood. Special water soluble glue is used to adhere the pieces of paper to each other.
The end result is a material which carries similar characteristics to that of wood and can
be cut, milled and sanded.

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46. Ferrock - Ferrock uses recycled materials including steel dust from the steel industry to
create a concrete-like building material that is even stronger than concrete. It 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. It is a
stronger and greener alternative to standard cement manufacturing methods helps
reduce a significant amount of carbon emission between fuel burning to running cement
mixers and chemical processes. Any structure that is made with Ferrock cement will
inevitably be longer-lasting and does not need repairs and replacement.

47. Nappy roofing - It is salvaged from nappies and sanitary products we throw away, even
though they're, well, really gross. Special recycling plants separate out the polymers
from the organic waste, and these polymers can then be used to create fibre-based
construction materials like the tiles in the image above. The recycling process turns the
waste into plastic and cellulose organic residue for green energy. Organics may become
paper or be burned to produce electricity. The absorbents can be re-used for other
packaging, or perhaps even go into the next generation of nappies. Plastics might be
formed into a variety of forms, including roof tiles or plastic wood, for decking and/or
cladding.

48. Recy blocks - These colourful bricks are made from old plastic bags, which are
notoriously difficult to recycle in any other way. Recycled bags or plastic packaging are
placed in a heat mold, and forced together to form the blocks. They're too lightweight to
act as load-bearing walls, but can be used to divide up rooms or outdoor areas, sitting
elements or just as a remarkable decoration element by itself.

49. Blood bricks - This idea rests on the assumption that animal blood counts as a waste
product. This, we realise, is a potentially offensive idea – but while carnivores are still
munching away, they're still wasting loads of animal blood, especially in societies

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 without industrialised food production systems. And, as it turns out, blood is one of the
strongest bio-adhesives out there, as it contains high levels of protein. British
architecture student Jack Munro proposes using freeze-dried blood (which comes as a a
powder), mixed with sand to form a paste; this can then be cast as bricks. This could be
especially useful in remote communities, where blood from animal slaughter is plentiful,
but strong construction materials are thin on the ground.

50. Glass Bottle bricks- Alfred Henry Heineken, owner of the brewery, visited a Carribean
island and was dismayed at both lack of shelter, and the number of discarded Heineken
bottles scattered everywhere. So the company landed on a new, brick-shaped design for
the bottle, shown in the images above. The bottleneck slots into the base of the next
bottle, forming an interlocking line.

51. Plastic Bottle bricks. - Plastic Bottle Bricks can convert everyday plastic materials into a
useful building material. The plastic bottles are stuffed with trash until they are as
compact as bricks. They are now increasingly being used around the world as a viable
way to clean up the environment; prevent plastic pollution; and create a much needed
building material.
52. Smog insulators - One of our biggest waste receptacles is the air, which isn't great for
our lungs, or for the human race's chances of survival on a planet that's rapidly getting
hotter. "Dusty relief", a system created by the City of Bangkok and design firm New-
Territories, involves placing an electrically charged metal mesh over a building, which
attracts large smog particles and sticks them together. Eventually, this creates a kind of
silvery fur over the building's surface. Not particularly attractive, perhaps, but much
better than a similar shag forming on the insides of your lungs.

53. Mycelium - Mushroom walls - Mycelium is maze-like roots of a fungus that converts
hydrocarbons into carbohydrate chains. It is totally natural – it comprises the root
structure of fungi and mushrooms. It 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. It becomes so strong the wall will

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 need no internal metal or wooded studs to support it.The Mushroom Material products
look like particle boards but actually contain no wood. They are cheaper, lighter and
stronger and are 100% compostable when they reach the end of their useful life.It is a
concrete capable of organic self-healing, thus reduces the need for high price repairs.
It’s an eco-friendly insulation material that outperforms traditional fiberglass. Mycelium
will be a major step for biomass green building materials.

54. Plasphalt - Plasphalt has recycled plastic pieces mixed in with asphalt and are then
used in order to create paved ways and roads. In more detail, Plasphalt is made up of
grains of plastic produced from unsorted plastic waste, which replaces the sand and
gravel usually used in asphalt production. Plasphalt roads have far less at risk of wear
and tear than traditional asphalt, because the asphalt emulsion bonded better with the
plastic than with gravel or sand.

55. Terrazzo - One of the most popular terrazzo surfaces is made from recycled glass and
cast concrete. The glass use is both post consumer as well as post industrial. The final
product contains 80% -95% post consumer recycled content and at such relies on the
material being produced and consumed in the first place. Terrazzo is as durable as
granite and less porous than marble which makes for long lasting and beautiful green.

56. Green paint - The potential health effects of paints ( due to VOCs )have led to the
development of a new range of Environmentally Friendly non-toxic paints. They are
classified into three types:
A. Zero-VOC paints: The level of VOCs in these paints is so low that they can be termed
as ‘zero-VOC paints’. As per the EPA* standard, the total VOC content should be less
than 5 gram per liter of paint.
B. Low-VOC paints: As specified by the EPA, these paints can have VOC concentrations
ranging from 5 to 200 gram per liter of paint.
C. Natural paints: These paints are made of natural compounds such as tree resins,
water, plant oil, essential oil and natural dyes. They do not contain any VOCs. Water-
based paints do not have an odor, while oil-based paints have a smell.

It is important to note that most green certifications stand for VOC in the paint base.
VOC in colouring agents in the paint, the biggest contributor of VOC, is often ignored.
As a thumb rule, darker colours and glossier paints have more VOC.

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