From natural building materials to the high-tech, browse through these pages to discover a variety of materials used in green building as alternatives to conventional materials.
Berkeley — In a quest to make concrete more durable and sustainable, an international team of geologists and engineers has found inspiration in the ancient Romans, whose massive concrete structures have withstood the elements for more than 2,000 years. Using […]
In this article we present the outcome of our research into straw bale versus papercrete as alternatives to the most common types of building materials based on criteria such as R-value, cost of production and pollution concerns. The purpose is to see
As the world population increases, the need for accommodation will inevitably increase. Unfortunately, current mainstream building methods are unsustainable, producing large amounts of CO2 both during construction and throughout a building’s life. Thankfully, sustainability is becoming a priority for developers,
MANHATTAN, KAN. — Kansas State University civil engineers are developing the right mix to reduce concrete’s carbon footprint and make it stronger. Their innovative ingredient: biofuel byproducts. “The idea is to use bioethanol production byproducts to produce a material to
Fashionable people may turn up their noses at jute—the cheap fibre used to make burlap, gunny sacks, twine and other common products—but new research is enhancing jute’s appeal as an inexpensive, sustainable reinforcement for mortar and concrete. The study appears
Concrete, the world’s most abundant man-made substance, ranks second to coal as the world’s dirtiest industrial material. Now, a company in Halifax, Canada, is working to make concrete plants carbon neutral, using captured CO2 to improve their product. By injecting CO2into
Researchers at the University of Jaen (Spain) have mixed waste from the paper industry with ceramic material used in the construction industry. The result is a brick that has low thermal conductivity and acts as a good insulator, though its
Process can help to ensure that consumer products are free of harmful endocrine disruptors PITTSBURGH—A group of scientists from North America and Europe, including Carnegie Mellon University’s Terry Collins, has developed a five-tiered testing system that manufacturers can use to
As the Asia representative for the UNESCO Earthen Architecture program, the Auroville Earth Institute in South India is a great source for people wanting to learn earthen construction. In addition to building, they conduct research and development, operate training programs
Earth. The abundant resource is locally accessible almost everywhere on Earth. The ease of transportation alone makes it a fine green building material, but its benefits are much more than just that. It’s non-toxic, has a high thermal mass, low
