courtesy  :  the constructor

green contsruction and materials

The aim of using green building materials is to construct energy-efficient structures and to build those structures one should be aware of different green building materials, their properties and how they contribute into saving energy.

1. Earthen Materials

• Earthen materials like adobe, cob, and rammed earth are being used for construction purposes since yore.
• For good strength and durability- chopped straw, grass and other fibrous materials etc. are added to earth.
• Even today, structures built with adobe or cob can be seen in some remote areas.

2. Engineered Wood

• Wood is one of the most famous building materials used around the world.
• But in the process of conversion of raw timber to wood boards and planks, most percentage of wood may get wasted.
• This wastage can also be used to make structural parts like walls, boards, doors etc. in the form of engineered wood.
• Unlike solid wood, engineered wood contains different layers of wood, usually the middle layers are made of wood scraps, softwoods, wood fibers etc.

3. Bamboo

• Bamboo is one of the most used multipurpose and durable materials used in construction.
• These trees grow faster irrespective of climatic conditions. So, it makes it economical as well.
• They can be used to construct frames or supports, walls, floors etc.
• They provide a good appearance to the structures.

4. SIPs

• Structural insulated panels (SIPs) consist of two sheets of oriented strand boards or flake board with a foam layer between them.
• They are generally available in larger sizes and are used as walls for the structure.
• Because of their large size, they need heavy equipment to install however, they provide good insulation.

5. Insulated Concrete Forms

• Insulated concrete forms contain two insulation layers with some space in between them. This space contains some arrangement for holding reinforcement bars, after placing reinforcement, concrete is poured into this space.
• They are light in weight, fire resistant, low dense and have good thermal and sound insulation properties.

6. Cordwood

• If wood is abundantly available and easily accessible to the site of construction, cordwood construction is recommended.
• It requires short and round pieces of wood which are laid one above the other, width wise, and are bonded together by special mortar mix.
• They are strong, environmental friendly and also give good appearance to the structure.

7. Straw Bale

• Straw bale is another green building material which can be used as framing material for building because of good insulating properties. They can also act as soundproof materials.
• Non-load bearing walls of straw bale can be used as fill material in between columns and, in beams framework is recommended.
• Since air cannot pass through them, straw bales also have some resistance to fire.

8. Earth Bags

• Earth bags or sand bags are also used to construct walls of a structure.
• These types of structures can be seen in military bases, near banks of water resources etc.
• Generally, bags made of burlap are recommended but they may rot very easily and hence, polypropylene bags are used nowadays.

9. Slate Roofing

• Slate is naturally formed rock which is used to make tiles.
• Slate tiles have high durability and they are used as roofing materials.
• Slate roofing is preferred when it is locally or cheaply available.

10. Steel

• Steel roof panels and shingles are highly durable and they can be recycled again and again. So, these are the best choices for green roofing materials.