We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this website, you agree to our use of cookies. More information.
The concept of sustainable building can be simply defined as the ability to construct affordable, healthy and comfortable building structures. The materials, processes and maintenance of the entire life cycle of the building should be considered to minimize the negative impact on the environment.
Photo Credit: Daisy Daisy/Shutterstock.com
Sustainability is an important consideration for the construction industry, as 45% of total carbon emissions in the UK come from buildings. The statistics are broken down into 18% of non-residential buildings and 27% of residential buildings. Since the demolition and construction in the construction industry generate 32% of waste, further consideration should be given to the scrapping of buildings.
The building sector uses more energy than any other sector. This sector uses about 40% of the world's energy every year and contributes 20% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. It is estimated that by 2030, building carbon dioxide emissions will increase by 56%.
The trend of green recovery is not new, but more and more companies have been pushing this agenda recently. The company is pursuing zero-carbon buildings and optimizing the performance of the building cycle through various methods, namely designing buildings to be ultra-efficient and fully electric. Finally, buildings must utilize and rely on renewable and local energy sources.
There are approximately 1,500 species of bamboo, but only a few are likely to be used in structured buildings.
Traditional flooring is usually made of hardwood flooring, which is a cost-effective option, but poses a risk to the environment, making it not a sustainable option.
An alternative material in the form of bamboo has been found because it is versatile, lightweight, and can have excellent durability when woven with strands. Therefore, it also has efficient and impressive mechanical properties and a strength-to-weight ratio that is better than or equal to wood and steel.
Disadvantages of bamboo reinforced concrete
Some bamboo species have compressive strength similar to that of concrete manufacturing, and they are alternative and inexpensive flooring materials for commercial spaces. Bamboo is easy to grow and can be harvested in 3 to 5 years, while ordinary trees take 25 years to fully mature.
Bamboo can be regenerated without replanting, which is further attributed to the environmentally friendly nature of bamboo manufactured for commercial use. It also survives almost without maintenance, is drought-resistant, and can grow in a variety of soils. Choosing bamboo will greatly help slow down or reduce deforestation.
The obstacle to the commercial use of bamboo is due to the lack of building codes and standards. Without building standards, engineers and architects would be reluctant to add bamboo to buildings, despite its exemplary environmental and aesthetic qualities.
Traditional glass is believed to account for about 40% of the energy consumption for heating, cooling and lighting in buildings. Because it cannot adjust and reflect external weather conditions, it is a building component that is classified as low energy efficiency.
However, new sustainable technologies have witnessed the rise of smart or switchable glass windows.
Smart glass windows can change their heating and lighting characteristics, thereby reducing energy use during the day. Buildings that use smart windows have been shown to save up to 30% in energy costs. The window is designed to automatically block heat and light according to the external environment by adjusting the color of the window.
For example, in warm weather conditions, in order to cool the interior of the building, windows become opaque to block heat and light. In addition, under the warm conditions where air conditioners normally operate, if windows become opaque, it can trap cold air in them, thereby reducing system stress and overuse.
It is also important to note that the system is capable of manual and automatic control and reflects fluctuating weather and sun patterns from sunrise to sunset. In the early morning, the east facade of the house will be directly exposed to sunlight.
Therefore, the system can be adjusted according to these conditions, allowing the east facade to block light, while other facades allow natural light to enter, transitioning throughout the day according to the arrangement of the sun and heating requirements.
Image Credit: Arc Tina/Shutterstock.com
As smart glass is becoming an important trend and building material in the construction industry, the market is expected to reach US$3.75 billion by 2026. Regulators are also encouraging the importance of smart energy-saving glass such as LEEDS and national green building standards. This is important because it promotes investment and changes in industry concepts.
Although the main use of smart glass windows is in the construction and construction industries, opportunities have also emerged in the transportation and aerospace industries. For example, both Mercedes and BMW have introduced smart glass in different parts of the vehicle, resulting in further benefits in terms of UV protection, noise reduction and fuel consumption.
The insulation layer in the building serves as a barrier to prevent heat and energy from being transferred from the outside to the inside of the building. In the past, insulating materials have always been dangerous due to the asbestos contained in the material.
A traditional form of insulation is spray foam insulation, which has a great impact on the environment and homes. Spray foam emits a lot of greenhouse gases and is also made of various chemicals to ensure that it is not flammable. These will affect the air quality inside and outside the home. Therefore, alternative recyclable insulation materials are becoming more and more popular.
The most common insulation substitutes are glass fiber made from recycled glass, cellulose made from recycled paper, mineral wool made from building materials, wool, and hemp.
For example, hemp insulation contains 92% hemp fiber, and the rest is made of polyester fiber. Since hemp is a natural plant product, it has little impact on the environment during the manufacturing stage. This plant is like a weed, which means that it requires very low maintenance to reach its full potential.
Compared with glass fiber or cellulose, the installation process of hemp insulation material is easier. Glass fiber or cellulose can bring side effects of itching and coughing to the installer.
However, hemp insulation is a fairly new market, as it only entered the North American market around 2018. It is also not regarded as an industry standard because there are many other materials that have proven to be environmentally friendly alternatives to insulating materials that have been on the market for longer periods of time.
Another fairly new development in insulation is concrete blocks with embedded insulation. This material is produced by pouring concrete between insulating foam molds during the construction process, hence the name Insulated Concrete Foam (ICF).
Concrete already has high thermal conductivity and durability, but the product as a whole also has energy efficiency and sound insulation advantages. By 2026, the ICF market is expected to reach 1.56 billion U.S. dollars, becoming more and more popular in developing regions such as Asia and the Middle East.
All in all, as concerns about emissions and sustainability continue to grow, there is a range of new and mature green materials that have the potential to significantly save energy costs for residential and commercial properties.
New trends in sustainable building materials in 2021 | Professional crew schedule (2021). Available at: https://www.procrewschedule.com/new-sustainable-building-materials-trends-in-2021
Six sustainable building materials to look for in 2021 (2020). Available at: https://www.forconstructionpros.com/sustainability/article/21201301/six-sustainable-building-materials-to-look-for-in-2021
What is the difference between green building and sustainable building? (2020). Available at: https://www.iotacommunications.com/blog/difference-between-green-and-sustainable-building/
Thurley, W., 2020. Future trends in sustainable construction. [Online] Schneider Electric blog. Available at: <https://blog.se.com/building-management/2020/08/28/future-trends-for-sustainable-buildings/>
Silverman, E., 2021. Can bamboo construction materials replace wood and steel? | Built. [Online] Built | Bluebeam Blog. Available at: <https://blog.bluebeam.com/building-with-bamboo/>
Greenfield, M. (2020) Hemp insulation material-what every homeowner needs to know, innovative building materials. Available at: https://innovativebuildingmaterials.com/hemp-insulation/
PR Newswire. 2019. Smart glass in construction, transportation and other applications (2019-2024): Global market insight report. [Online] Available at: <https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/smart-glass-in-construction-transportation-and-other-applications-2019-2024-worldwide-market-insight-report-300889386 .html>
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author in a personal capacity, and do not necessarily represent the views of the owner and operator of this website, AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork. This disclaimer forms part of the terms and conditions of use of this website.
Olivia recently graduated from RMIT University in Australia with a double bachelor's degree in civil engineering and business management. During her studies, she volunteered to build wind turbines in Peru for local communities where technology was not available. This experience developed into an active interest and enthusiasm for discovering new developments in the materials and construction industry.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your paper, essay, or report:
Hudson, Olivia. (December 6, 2021). Future-oriented sustainable construction trends. AZoBuild. Retrieved from https://www.azobuild.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8452 on December 8, 2021.
Hudson, Olivia. "Future-oriented sustainable building trends". AZoBuild. December 8, 2021. <https://www.azobuild.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8452>.
Hudson, Olivia. "Future-oriented sustainable building trends". AZoBuild. https://www.azobuild.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8452. (Accessed on December 8, 2021).
Hudson, Olivia. 2021. Future-oriented sustainable building trends. AZoBuild, viewed on December 8, 2021, https://www.azobuild.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=8452.
Do you have comments, updates, or anything you want to add to this article?
Concrete production involves the use of small aggregates that must be ground through an energy-intensive process, making the concrete industry one of the most serious carbon emitters. By manufacturing concrete from mining waste, industry can solve the problems of carbon dioxide emissions and waste disposal.
The Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB has partnered with LKAB and Vattenfall to produce the world's first commercial fossil-fuel-free steel.
AZoBuild discussed with Professor Noguchi and Maruyama about their research and development on calcium carbonate concrete (CCC), a new material that has the potential to trigger a sustainable revolution in the construction industry.
AZoBuild spoke with Alex Anderson of the University of Washington about the history of brutalism and its current importance.
AZoBuild and Carlo Ratti of Carlo Ratti Associati discussed the company's ambitious plan to build a hydroponic building in Shenzhen.
Noguchi Takafumi and Maruyama Kappei
AZoBuild discussed with Professor Noguchi and Maruyama about their research and development on calcium carbonate concrete (CCC), a new material that has the potential to trigger a sustainable revolution in the construction industry.
AZoBuild.com-AZoNetwork website
Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, © 2000-2021