Building Sector
Building up an ecological balancing act New circular innovations are turning waste materials into new concrete material, roofing and other construction products, adds Angelica Buan in this article.
On the road to sustainability The building and construction industry is a major economic growth engine, and also among the largest consumers of energy, accounting for over a third of global energy consumption. It is also material-intensive, accounting for about half of the total use of raw materials. Plus, it accounts for almost 40% of total direct and indirect carbon emissions, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The growing global population, which a United Nations data predicts to breach 9.7 billion by 2050, is whetting the industry’s expansion. Thus, reducing the environmental footprint of the industry is imperative – the sooner, the better. With industries adopting the circular system whereby resources are retained and reused, the building and construction industry is also turning its attention to sustainability. Companies are beefing up their portfolios with products that are recycled or upcycled; and contain recycled, renewable, or sustainably-sourced materials.
Building blocks to sustainability Green concrete, made with recycled or waste materials, is gaining traction among builders and developers that follow sustainability trends and global environmental policies. The global green concrete market is projected to post a CAGR of 9.45% over seven years from 2020, according to a report by Market Research Future. It is driven by the demand for economically viable solutions and sustainable building materials in the construction sector and a compliance with green building laws. Despite the perceived increased use of green concrete, is it on par with conventional concrete in terms of strength and durability? This burning question is addressed in a study carried out by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan’s School of Engineering, using recycled and conventional concrete in a building foundation and municipal sidewalk – two common applications for concrete. During the five-year study period, UBC researchers tested the compressive strength and durability of recycled concrete with the conventional form. It was found that the recycled concrete had a higher rate of compressive strength after 28 days of curing while maintaining a greater or equal strength. Crushed concrete replaced natural aggregate in the study’s recycled material. Recycled concrete is not widely recognised by international standards owing to its high porosity, a lack of reliably consistent sources, and a lack of field studies. But as a result of this study, funded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), OK Builders Supplies and KonKast Products, researchers said recycled concrete could be a 100% Researchers at UBC Okanagan, led by Shahria Alam, co-director substitute for non-structural applications, and could of UBC’s Green Construction Research used recycled and start being a substitute for structural applications with conventional concrete in a building foundation and municipal sidewalk improvements in the composition of recycled concrete. JUNE 2021
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