Search
Close this search box.
#Podcast
Search
Close this search box.
#Podcast

10 Undeniably Eco-friendly Construction Materials

The more environmentally conscious our society becomes, the more sustainable materials are in demand. We’ve all been there. We buy a house that seems like the perfect fit for our lifestyle and budget, only to find out that the roof needs replacing after only two years. Or that we need to replace the windows because they were installed improperly. Or that we have a mold problem because of poor ventilation.

The good news is that these problems can be avoided with sustainable materials. Eco-friendly homes help save on maintenance and utility costs, as well as increase a property’s resale value. 

These are the top 10 sustainable materials you need to look for in 2022:

Bamboo:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, and it’s also one of the strongest. It has been used in construction for years, but its popularity has risen in recent years, especially in furniture.

Bamboo grows faster than other trees; it can grow up to 1 meter a day! Trees such as pine and cedar can’t be reforested promptly, and they don’t grow throughout the world. Bamboo has a greater tensile strength than concrete, brick, or wood, as well as a higher strength-to-weight ratio than any of these materials. 

Recycled Plastic: 

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Recycled plastic has emerged as a viable and sustainable construction material. Because it does not require the sourcing, milling, and mining of conventional building materials, recycled plastic concrete allows for construction to take place in areas where these traditional materials are not readily available. 

The practice of using plastic waste in construction reduces greenhouse emissions, reduces plastic waste, and uses the waste that would otherwise clog landfills. Using plastic waste in construction improves the sustainability of the environment significantly and helps meet future infrastructure demands. 

Smart Glass windows:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

In recent years, the construction of large windows has become a significant trend in design because they allow light to shine through them and reduce the need for electric consumption. Bright glass windows are beneficial in a variety of ways, including allowing natural light into an otherwise dark space and reducing the need for electric consumption in buildings.

Smart glass is a window treatment that can be switched between transparent and translucent. In the winter, it acts as a solar collector, while in summer it deflects the sun’s heat.

Ferrock:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

A new product called Ferrock combines various recycled materials to create a material that can be used as a construction building material that absorbs carbon dioxide during the hardening and drying process. Most commonly the recycled materials are steel dust, which helps create a mixture with concrete-like properties.

Ferrock is a manmade material with a patented production method that allows for the rapid conversion of waste materials into a lightweight, durable material. It uses readily available materials and converts the waste into positive new use.

Rice Husk Ash Concrete:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Rice-husk ash concrete, which is produced when rice husks are burned and then mixed with lime, shows better bond strength than Portland cement. This type of concrete is used mainly in the manufacturing of fertilizer containers. The material’s compressive strength, split strength, and flexural strength were greater than that of ordinary concrete. 

Rice husk ash concrete is an eco-friendly building material. It can be used in many applications, including as a general insulator, on industrial flooring, in bathrooms and swimming pools, etc. 

AAC Blocks: 

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

AAC blocks, also called Autoclaved Aerated Concrete blocks, are made from industrial waste materials such as coal tar and slag. They can be made into any size or shape to suit the needs of a project. 

Advantages of this material are they are energy-efficient, earthquake-resistant, mold-resistant, fire-resistant, cost-effective and long-lasting, reclaimed wood is used for wall paneling, roofing, flooring, etc.

Timbercrete:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Timbercrete, a mixture of sawdust and concrete, is a building material that offers several advantages over conventional concrete.

It weighs less, greatly reducing transportation emissions; the sawdust both reuses a waste product and replaces some of the energy-intensive components of traditional concrete. Timbercrete is usually molded into traditional shapes such as blocks, bricks, and pavers.

Straw Bales:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Straw bales have extraordinary insulating properties. They can be used in wall and ceiling constructions to help with temperature control, summer and winter. 

Straw-bale construction is a sustainable method of building that results in the least amount of material used and best energy efficiency for heating and cooling. 

Cork:

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Cork is harvested from the cork oak tree . Harvesting cork from a living tree allows the tree to continue growing and reproducing. Cork is resilient, and it bounces back to its original shape after being compressed.

Tile makers often incorporate rubber into floor tiles because of rubber’s resilience and resistance to wear, making rubber a common element in floor tiles. Rubber’s noise-absorbing abilities also make it perfect for insulation sheets, and its shock-absorbing qualities make it well-suited for sub-flooring. 

Reclaimed or recycled wood and metal

Eco-friendly Construction Materials

Aluminum and steel are highly embodied energy materials because of the energy-intensive steps required to produce them, such as mining, heating and shaping, and transporting a relatively heavy material. 

Re-purposed metal is an environmentally sound building material that requires no frequent replacement. It doesn’t burn or warp, making it a viable option for roofing, structural supports and building façades. It’s also water and pest resistant. 

Establish the durability of your construction materials; this will help you create buildings that are friendly with the world. The above ten building materials are effective in helping you build an eco-friendly and long-lasting property that will retain its resale value.

Written by Rithanya Sekar

Similar Stories

Architecture

News

House Tours