Green Building Materials & Products

Lecture 4
 Green Building Materials

 Materials-related impacts
 “Green” building materials
 No perfect material
 Decision-making criteria
 Examples of “green” materials
 Issues related to “green” materials
 Future of “green” materials
 Environmental Risks (US EPA)

HIGH MEDIUM LOW

Habitat Herbicides/pesticides Oil spills

alteration/destruction

Species extinction/loss Toxics/nutrients/BOD/tu Groundwater pollution

of biodiversity rbidity in surface waters

Stratospheric ozone Acid deposition Acid runoff to surface

depletion waters

Global climate change Airborne toxics Thermal pollution

Building Materials
Waste Quantities

Construction
and Demolition Other Waste
Waste 66%
34%

136 Million
tons

259 Million
tons
 Waste Quantities

Ne w
C o n s t ruc t io n
8%

Construction
and
Other Waste Demolition Demoliton
Waste 48%
66%
Renovation
259 million 34%
44%
tons 136 million
tons
 Waste Quantities
Construction and Demolition Waste

New
Construction
8%

Demoliton Residential
48%
30%
Renovation
44%

Non
Residential
70%
 Residential
Waste Quantities Demolition
Roofing
Insulation Waste
4% 4%
Drywall
4%
National
Wood
5% Case
Concrete
29%
study
Plywood
8% average

Dimensional
Lumber
17%
Metal
29%
 Commercial
Waste Quantities Demolition

Wood 16%

Landfill Debris 9%

Scrap Iron 5%

Asphalt 2%
Brick 1%
Roofing 1%

Concrete 66%
Sample Composition of Commercial Demolition Debris (19
projects in the Pacific Northwest, R.W. Rhine, Inc., Tacoma,
Washington (Franklin Associates, 1998)).
 Demolition Waste Generation Rates

Waste Produced
Construction Type
( lbs / SF )

Non Residential Demolition 38 - 358

Residential Demolition 50 – 115

Residential Renovation 3.31 – 72.10

Vary depending on construction type

 Waste Quantities
Construction and Demolition
Waste

Demoliton Renovation
48% 44%

Non
Residential
New
47%
Construction
8%
Residential
53%
 Residential
Waste Quantities Renovation

Dryw all 21%

Roofing 28%

Miscellaneous 6%

Metals 1%

Wood 44%
Sample Composition of Residential Renovation Debris (Average
of two sites, METRO Portland, Oregon, (Franklin Associates,
1998)).
Waste Quantities

Renovation
44%

New
Construction
8%

Demolition
48%
 Waste from Construction

 Material Tons Percent of total

 Wood 3.40 46
 Gypsum / drywall 1.88 25
 Mixed debris 1.13 15
 Cardboard 0.40 5
 Metals 0.44 6
 Masonry 0.18 2
 Total 7.43
 Waste generated 7.2lbs/SF
 Construction Waste from a 2,060 sq. ft. Single Family
Home
World Wastes, June, 1994.
Embodied Energy of Materials

 Material Btu/Lb
 Gravel, stone 7-9
 Lumber 250
 Concrete 667
 Paint 4,288 - 6,514
 Glass 8,852 - 9,743
 Steel, lead 10,188 - 18,730
 Polyethylene, plastic 37,323 - 68,840
 Aluminum 82,368 - 100,235
 Intensity of Materials Use

CO2 Emissions Air Pollution Embodied Energy

1. 4” brick veneer 16g alum 4” brick veneer
2. 24g porcelain steel 18g alum 4” conc 5,000 psi
3. 22g steel deck 22g steel deck 8” CMU wall
4. 18g alum 6” 20g std/24” oc 6” 22g std/16”oc
5. ¼” clear glass ¼” clear glass 6” 22g std/24”oc
6. ½” gypsum bd ½” gypsum bd Acrylic stucco (2)
7. 6” fiberglass 6” fiberglass EPS 1”
8. 2x6/16” oc 2x6/16” oc ½” gypsum board
9. 2x6/24” oc 2x6/24” oc 6” fiberglass
Relative impacts: per SF- highest to lowest
 Issues and Conflicts

 Which is worse: a product that pollutes the

air by consuming energy from coal-fired
power plants or one that disrupts
ecosystems by consuming energy from
massive hydroelectric dam projects?
 Characteristics of Green Materials

 Minimize negative impact on future generations

 Non-toxic, does no harm to occupants and environment
 Local
 Natural
 Low tech
 Concrete

 Cement, water, and aggregate

 Stone aggregate 48%
 Sand 34%
 Portland cement 12%
 Water 6%  
 Cement
 Cement - lime, silica, iron and alumina + gypsum
 Lime 60-66%
 Silica, 19-25%
 Alumina 3-8%
 Magnesia 0-5%
 Ferric oxide 1-5%
 0.64 to 1.25 lb. of CO2 per lb. of cement
 Strip mining - bauxite ore, sand, aggregate
 Green Concrete - Fly-Ash
 Substitute 15%-25% of cement
 Maximum 40%-50% of cement
 Improves workability, reduces water requirements,
increases the strength, reduces permeability and
corrosion
 Fly-ash SO2 possible toxicity for interior
 Curing time 72 vs. 28 days
 Increased strength 10-15%
 Less cement per unit volume and less concrete per
load per square inch
 QUESTION?

Steel Stud Wood Stud

•Steel Most recycled
material
•NON RENEWABLE
RESOURCE
•Potential yield strength
problems in fires
•Thermal Transfer
•Wood can be recycled or
downcycled
•Potentially Renewable
Resource
•Learning curve for
installation complete
•Material grading and
behavior established

Environmental Issues often difficult to Quantify

 Forest Issues - General
 55% of wood is used for fuel, remainder for lumber, paper,
other industrial products
 Legal forest products; $142 billion/yr
 Consumption per capita 12x greater in industrial countries
compared to developing countries
 Wood production is now more efficient (23% 1945-1990)
 Wood consumption per capita in US declined by 52% since
1990
 New products: OSB, particleboard, I-joists use less wood
and more efficiently
 Wood in Construction
 US: 40% of roundwood used in construction
 10% of world’s wood supply used in US construction
 Home area per capita in US increased 79% in last three
decades
 During construction 10% of wood ends up as waste in the US
 New framing methods (Optimum Value Engineering) can
reduce wood use and waste by 20%
 Salvaged wood can be very valuable
 Certified wood: Smartwood (Forestry Stewardship Council)
protects forests
 Needed Changes
 Use certified wood or salvaged lumber
 End subsidies to forestry industry
 Recreation: 2.6 million jobs $97.8 billion
 Logging: 76,000 jobs $3.5 billion
 Subsidies enforce bad practices, artificially lower prices
 Alternative materials: steel for framing, cork for
flooring, kenaf for paper, other sources of fiber
(sisel, jute, hemp, kenaf)
 Material Selection Intent
Select materials with lowest possible
environmental impact
 Renewable Resources
 Sustainable managed and harvested lumber
 Awareness of manufacturing impact on
environment
 Durability and future recyclability
 Cost
Market Drivers Considerations

 Green materials introduction into

marketplace (Home Depot tax refund add)

 Increased advertisement and availability of

green materials
 Rainforest destruction a continuing concern
 
                 
 Key Solutions

 Select recycled content materials

 Use renewable resources
 Purchase local materials
 Advanced engineered products
Recycled Content - Plastic
Recycled Plastic Lumber
Reclaimed Lumber
Sustainably Harvested Lumber
Recycled and Low-Toxicity Paints
Rapidly Renewable Fibers
Natural Materials - Cork
Natural Materials - Fibers
Recycled Content - Glass
Recycled–Glass Aggregate
Rammed Earth
Steel Framing
Structure as Finish
Strawbale
Strawbale (2)
Summer House at KBG
Depot Kiosk
Autonomous House
 Materials Decision Matrix
 First Cost
 Availability (materials/labor)
 Performance (Code/function)
 Aesthetics
 Environmental attributes
 Local goods
 Life-cycle costs
 Performance-Based Analysis
 Structural strength
 Fire resistance
 Insect resistance
 Durability and expected life-time
 Necessary coatings and maintenance
 Labor and skill requirements assembly/installation
 Environmental-Based Analysis
 Life-cycle costs – ex. high R- value insulation - wear resistant materials -
recycled, recyclable, salvage or disposal costs or benefits – high-quality and
hand-crafted materials acquire value
 Environmental alternatives – based on building /Owner objectives
 Code acceptance - environmental alternatives can be problematic if not
understood locally
 Availability - trade-offs from obtaining materials that are not locally
available but have environmental attributes
 Producer’s qualification / criteria - Material Safety Data Sheet for
certification of environmental qualities, especially third party certifications
and test data
 Selection of Materials
Driven by:
• Funding Agency / Owner
• Existing Structures
• Surrounding Neighborhoods
• Cost
• Architect
• Climate
 Often
Selection of Materials Ignores

• Operation expenses Ignored

because of
• Maintenance costs Budget
Breakdown
• Longevity / Durability
Time
• Energy Efficiency Unfamiliarity
• Environmental Consideration Perceived
High Cost
• Indoor environmental quality
 Selecting Green Materials
• Ignoring these factors impedes change
• Considering these factors provides an base for
sustainable decision making
• Open the design process to include the selection of
Green materials
• Educate the owners, designers, facility managers to
the benefits of Greening