Sustainability and Building Materials

Chantal Stagno Navarra MCIOB

Building materials are the constituents that make up a building. The indoor environment and the energy performance of a building are directly related to the choice of building materials. Furthermore, the environmental impact [EI] of a building also depends on the choice of materials used in construction.

Making changes to the materials, products and production processes used in the construction industry could significantly reduce their impact on the environment.

In this era, where human and environmental health are given high priority, a new category known as ‘Green building materials’ has evolved. Such materials minimise the overall EI of a building whilst creating a healthy indoor environment. For a material to be classified as green, the life cycle of a particular material must be assessed.

Life cycle analysis [LCA] investigates the impact of a product at every stage of its life from preliminary development through obsolescence. The total energy consumed during a life cycle of a material is known as embodied energy [EE]. EE analysis calculates the energy required for the extraction of raw materials, manufacture, transport and disposal. ‘Minimally processed materials generally have a lower EE than those with extensive or manufacturing processes.’ Diagram 01 outlines the various life stages of a material. For a LCA to be complete, it must be accompanied with a life cycle cost analysis [LCCA] where the expenditure of a material is calculated through its life cycle including the performance of a building once in operation.

Diagram 01 - Life Cycle of a Building Material

There are a number of tools which have been developed to assess the life cycle of a material.

Rating systems such as LEED contribute in controlling the quality of buildings, whereas life cycle analysis tools assess the health and EI of a material from extraction to recycle or disposal.

Locally, an action plan for green public procurement has been issued in 2018 and covers the

Internationally, deriving the right criteria for assessing the sustainability of building materials is limited due to variable situations. Data on materials is available and LCA tools assist in analysing the EI. Whilst building materials make up a building, they cannot be fully assessed without considering their application, use and other materials that shall be installed within a structure.