Environmental Impact of Materials

7 Key excerpts on "Environmental Impact of Materials"

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  eBook - ePub

  Materials Science In Construction: An Introduction

  • Arshad Ahmed, John Sturges(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Part IV

  Conclusion: sustainability of materials

  22

  Environmental Impact of Materials

           

  This chapter examines the nature and extent of the impact that the extraction, production and use of building materials has on the Earth’s natural environment. It examines the steps involved in producing the materials, and the total life cycle impact from cradle to grave. Most importantly, various ways of quantifying the impact are set out in this chapter, as well as suggestions for mitigating the various adverse effects described.

   

  Contents

  22.1 Introduction

  22.2 Materials

  22.2.1 Construction materials and their importance

  22.3 Energy

  22.4 Stages in material production and use

  22.5 Measurement of environmental impact

  22.6 Indices of environmental impact

  22.6.1 Embodied energy

  22.6.2 Embodied carbon dioxide

  22.6.3 Water usage

  22.6.4 Material intensity factor

  22.6.5 Ecological footprint

  22.6.6 Other types of environmental impact

  22.7 Durability/longevity issues

  22.8 End of life issues

  22.9 Conclusions

  22.10 Critical thinking and concept review

  22.1. Introduction

  We have already alluded to the fact that construction uses a wider range of materials than any other industry, as well as the fact that it consumes more material than all other industries put together. Since 1900 the Earth’s population has more than trebled, from around 1.8 billion to around 7.0 billion people (as of 2012). All of these people need somewhere to live, and since construction exists to provide buildings, the industry is having a huge influence on life on Earth. In Chapter 1

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  eBook - PDF

  Product Design for the Environment

  A Life Cycle Approach

  • Fabio Giudice, Guido La Rosa, Antonino Risitano(Authors)
  • 2006(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  12.2 Environmental Characterization of Materials and Processes The influence that the materials used to manufacture a product have on its envi-ronmental impact is manifested in the energy costs and emissions associated 326 Product Design for the Environment Environmental Characterization of Materials and Optimal Choice 327 with the production and end-of-life processes of the material, and in the intrinsic properties of the material and production process that constrain its level of recy-clability. Complete environmental characterization of a material should, there-fore, consist of defining the environmental impact linked to its production and disposal, and of evaluating the margins of recyclability in terms of decline in performance of the recycled material and recovery costs. Therefore, the optimal choice of materials, in relation to environmental demands, requires this complete environmental characterization, with particular regard to the following aspects: • Environmental impact associated with production processes (energy costs and overall impact) • Environmental impact associated with phases of end-of-life (recy-cling or disposal) • Suitability for recycling (expressed by the recyclable fraction) Information on the energy costs and recyclable fractions of more common materials can be obtained from commercially available databases, such as that of the CES ® (Cambridge Engineering Selector, Granta Design Ltd., Cambridge, UK) materials selection software. Overall environmental impact can be evalu-ated using the techniques of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), the analysis method used to quantify the environmental effects associated with a process or prod-uct through the identification and quantification of the resources used and the waste generated. As was discussed in Chapter 4, LCA evaluates the impact of using these resources and of the emissions produced.

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  eBook - ePub

  Ecohouse

  • Sue Roaf, Manuel Fuentes, Stephanie Thomas-Rees(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  2 THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BUILDING MATERIALS Andre Viljoen

  Since the publication of the first edition of Ecohouse many of the concepts relating to environmental impact have become more widely known and the availability of commercial environmental impact assessment services has increased. Despite this increase in the availability of information, many architects and designers still have to rely on common sense and deal with constraints of budget and location when specifying materials. This chapter aims to introduce basic concepts and ideas that will help designers develop strategies for specifying materials which minimise negative environmental impact. A reading list at the end of the chapter lists more detailed sources of information about the environmental impact of building materials.

  Building materials require processing before they are incorporated into a building; this inevitably requires the use of energy and results in waste generation. The choice of materials therefore affects the environmental impact of a building. The processing may be minimal, as in the case of a traditional cottage constructed from materials found locally, or it may be extensive, as in the case of prefabricated construction.

  Even basic materials have an environmental impact. It is estimated, for example, that the production of cement accounts for 5 per cent of global manmade CO2 emissions, about half of which arise from chemical reactions in the cement-making process and half from the energy consumed in producing cement (Kruse, 2004).

  We can calculate the overall environmental impact of a house if we know the impacts that result from its day-to-day use and the manufacture and delivery of its construction materials and components. We can, with this information, see how the choice of materials affects its impact on the environment.

  It will become clear that calculations to determine the exact impact of each and every dwelling are, at present, not feasible. This chapter will therefore refer to a very detailed study of the Oxford Ecohouse, which took account of the impact of materials selection. It will also refer to other research in this field and will aim to draw some practical conclusions of use to the prospective house designer, builder or renovator.

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  eBook - PDF

  Materials Science and Engineering, P-eBK

  An Introduction

  • William D. Callister, Jr., David G. Rethwisch, Aaron Blicblau, Kiara Bruggeman, Michael Cortie, John Long, Judy Hart, Ross Marceau, Ryan Mitchell, Reza Parvizi, David Rubin De Celis Leal, Steven Babaniaris, Subrat Das, Thomas Dorin, Ajay Mahato, Julius Orwa(Authors)
  • 2020(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  In many countries, environmental problems and issues are being addressed by the establishment of standards that are mandated by governmental regulatory agencies (e.g. the use of lead in electronic components is being phased out). From an industrial perspective, it becomes incumbent on engineers to propose viable solutions to existing and potential environmental concerns. Correcting any environmental problems associated with manufacturing influences product price. A common misconception is that a more environmentally friendly product or process is inherently more costly than one that is environmentally unfriendly. Engineers who use ‘out‐of‐the‐box’ thinking can generate better and cheaper products/processes. Another consideration relates to how one defines cost; in this regard, it is essential to look at the entire life cycle and take into account all relevant factors (including disposal and environmental impact issues). One approach being implemented by industry to improve the environmental performance of products is termed life cycle analysis/assessment. With this approach to product design, consideration is given to the cradle‐to‐grave environmental assessment of the product, from material extraction to product manufacture to product use and, finally, to recycling and disposal; sometimes this approach is also labelled green design. One important phase of this approach is to quantify the various inputs (i.e. materials and energy) and outputs (i.e. wastes) for each phase of the life cycle; this is represented schematically in figure 22.2. In addition, an assessment is conducted relative to the impact on both global and local environments in terms of the effects on ecology, human health, and resource reserves. One of the current environmental/economic/societal buzzwords is sustainability. In this context, sustainability represents the ability to maintain an acceptable lifestyle at the present level and into the indefinite future while preserving the environment.

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  eBook - ePub

  The Sustainable Sites Handbook

  A Complete Guide to the Principles, Strategies, and Best Practices for Sustainable Landscapes

  • Meg Calkins(Author)
  • 2011(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  Environmental and human health impacts associated with building material/product use can be minimized with careful attention to environmental and human health costs throughout their lifecycle. Yet materials evaluation and selection may be one of the most confusing and controversial areas of sustainable site design, with multiple variables and many right and wrong answers. Other aspects of sustainable site design may be more easily quantified. For example, hydrological analysis can disclose the necessary dimensions and type of a bioswale along a street to infiltrate and cleanse stormwater, but it is difficult to know if the path along the bioswale should be constructed from asphalt pavement made 20 miles away that may release polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) over time into the water in the swale, or decomposed granite with stone fragments from a quarry adjacent to a wetland 300 miles away stabilized with renewable plant-based binder produced 1,500 miles from the site.

  “What are the impacts?” is the first question that must be asked in evaluating the environmental and human health impacts of a material or product. Taking a complete inventory of all environmental and human health impacts resulting from all inputs and outputs at all phases of a material’s lifecycle is a huge undertaking—some would call it endless. This practice, called a lifecycle inventory (LCI), is a complex process best undertaken by material scientists and lifecycle analysts. And an inventory of impacts takes a certain expertise to interpret and will not provide answers in comparing materials without some idea of their relative importance and the assumptions used in collecting and calculating the data.

  “What is the relative importance of the magnitude and risks of the impact compared to the other materials/products impacts?” is the second question and is most critical in successful evaluation of materials. Determining how much importance to assign to a given environmental or human health impact is challenging, and different weightings can produce highly variable results. Some emphasize that using resources efficiently, reusing them in closed-loop cycles, and eliminating waste is of paramount importance (McDonough and Braungart 2002). Others claim that global climate change and reduction of carbon footprint is the most critical issue (www.architecture2030.org ), and still others place greatest emphasis on reducing human health impacts of construction materials (www.healthybuilding.net

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  eBook - ePub

  Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB)

  Concepts, Frameworks and Roadmap for Project Analysis and Implementation

  • Shady Attia(Author)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Butterworth-Heinemann

    (Publisher)

  This chapter is dedicated to stakeholders who should be concerned and responsible concerning materials selection based on their multiple attributes and purchasing including construction estimators, owners, manufacturers, contractors, specification writers, interior designers, construction purchasing agents, architects, and project managers. In this chapter, we aim to understand the environmental implications of building materials and their complex and multi-criteria attributes. This includes products such as concrete, masonry, wood, plastics, composites, thermal and moisture protection, openings, finishes, equipment, furnishing, plumbing, and electrical wiring. Also, we explore the policies, recent trends, and best practices of building structural systems and ecological materials. Finally, the chapter provides a critical discussion on the environmental consequences of building materials used for NZEB.

  2 Building Materials Environmental Impact

  NZEB are realized by lowering the energy demand through passive design and energy conservation measures, and by generating energy that meets this demand on-site. Both strategies have implications on the building construction system, technology and materials selection for the envelope, systems, and finishes. Worldwide, 50% if all extracted materials are delivered to serve the built environment (CESBA, 2014 ). At the same time, the consumption of material resources is increasing significantly to meet humans’ living standards and the development of modern societies. There is sufficient empirical evidence that the use of building materials has a negative environmental impact associated with extraction, processing, transport, maintenance, and disposal. In this section, we will briefly present the environmental and health impact of building materials in relation to the linear exploitation and disposal process.

  2.1 Environmental Impact

  Around 50% of all extracted materials are used by the building industry. Building construction and operation contribute greatly to resource depletion and consumption. The increased level of building material consumption worldwide leads to land use, land deforestation, soil erosion and degradation, and more mined minerals. The materials used for building construction represent a significant share of extracted materials and include steel, copper, and aluminum. For example, more than 30%–50% of total material use in Europe goes to housing, and mainly consists of iron, aluminum, copper, clay sand, gravel, limestone, wood, and stone (EEA, 2010

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  eBook - ePub

  Materials Experience

  Fundamentals of Materials and Design

  • Elvin Karana, Owain Pedgley, Valentina Rognoli(Authors)
  • 2013(Publication Date)
  • Butterworth-Heinemann

    (Publisher)

  quantitative impact reduction. Materials, albeit with different intensity for different products, are used throughout the entire life cycle. For that reason, the design approach must aim at reducing consumption of materials at all stages. It is obvious that a reduction in the use of materials determines cancellation of environmental impact regarding what is no longer used. Using less material diminishes impact, not just because fewer materials are preproduced, but also due to avoiding their transformation, transport, and disposal.

  Table 8.1 contains guidelines to minimize material consumption , as defined and adopted by the Design and Innovation for Sustainability (DIS) research unit2 of the INDACO Department of Politecnico di Milano.

  Table 8.1 Guidelines to Minimize Material Consumption

  From Vezzoli and Manzini (2007 , 2008) .

  Selecting low environmental impact materials

  Selecting low environmental impact materials implies design activity that selects materials with the highest environmental quality, i.e., it is a qualitative impact reduction.

  Relating to this, it is important to remember that a properly effective approach must always refer to the entire life cycle (to every concurring process) and to the functional unit. In other words, various processes for producing the materials (some of them might entail toxic or harmful emissions, others equally effective might not) have to be considered along with the technologies transforming and treating materials, as well as the distribution systems and the end-of-life treatments applicable to any given material.

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