What Are Sustainable Construction Materials?

A material can be qualified as sustainable if it is produced from renewable resources or if it has no adverse effect on the environment during its lifespan. Such a definition sounds quite simple. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible for any material to meet these criteria in real life, especially to have no negative impact on the environment. That is why in the industry, the term sustainable is treated more widely as material that tries to minimise its impact on the environment or, in some cases, has some positive effect on the planet.To make it more clear, let us introduce one more important term: Green Building.

What Is Green Building?

Green building, often called sustainable building, means building in an environmentally responsible way by reducing the negative impact of the building process and increasing its positive effects. Green building refers to all stages of the construction process, from the initial design to the final demolition.One of the actions of green building can be the use of sustainable construction material.

What Are The Most Popular Sustainable Building Materials?

1. Bamboo

Did you know that bamboo is considered as one of the best sustainable materials currently on the market? Why? There are a few pretty solid reasons for that!

The first of them is definitely its speed of growth. Bamboos are one of the world's fastest growing plants (one of the species even beat the world record)! They can be cultivated and harvested in a short time, between 3 and 5 years, which is extremely short compared to trees (around 20-25 years). Thanks to such speed, bamboo is pretty cheap compared to other sustainable substitutes.

What can be surprising is the strength and flexibility of a bamboo material. Its strength is around 28 000 N per square inch (while steel is approximately 23 000 N per square inch). Also, it can compete with the most traditional materials like steel, plastic or concrete as bamboo, unlike them, can release oxygen into the air during the planting.

However, even the best solutions are not flawless. Bamboo is a tempting food for termites and some species of fungus. That is why it needs to go through the preservation process. Unfortunately, sometimes the only preservation possible on the market is a chemical one, which can heavily harm the environment.

2. Cork

Just like bamboo, cork is another fast-growing “material”. It can be harvested every 9-12 years, but what is even crazier, cork can be harvested from living trees! It means that you do not need to cut it (like wood). Such a process doesn’t harm the tree because cork bark can regenerate itself. What’s more, during the process of regeneration, it absorbs CO2, which makes it even more eco-friendly!

However, harvesting is not the only plus of such material. Cork is also very flexible, light and resilient from fire or water. It is often used for floor production as it absorbs well noises and can be a natural insulator.

What is a downfall of cork as the sustainable solution is that it grows mainly by the Mediterranean sea, so to use it in different parts of the world, it has to be transported (often by ships which use a lot of energy and generate extra pollution). On the other side, cork is very light, so a lot of it can be transported on one ship (compared to other more traditional materials).

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Reference:

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4. Fungi

It may sound futuristic and unbelievable, but the reality of living in buildings made of fungus may soon become true. A material made from mushrooms is known on the market as bioplastic or biocomponents.

What are the characteristics of such materials? Probably, we don’t have to tell you that it is 100% biodegradable, cheap and lightweight but did you know that it can be stronger than concrete? It is also non-toxic and fire/waterproof.

Among our list, it is the only material that is actually living! What does it mean? When we place two alive, individual mycelium bricks together, the mycelium will rapidly spread amongst them and become the bonding material.

However, at least for now, fungi material is not a perfect solution on the market. Its lifespan is around 20 years as water resistance declines after time. It is because fungi are all the time active and can be impacted by mould or humidity.

5. Straw Bales

Last but not least, you can use straw bales as a sustainable construction material. Compared to fungi bricks, the idea to use straw may look like it was taken from the 18th century. Straw bales were indeed used in the past, but now the technique of using them has changed diametrically.

If you are still not convinced, let’s list some benefits. Straw is a natural material available locally, which means that it does not require long-distance transportation (which generates a carbon footprint). Also, straw bales are fire-resistant and suitable for air circulation as they provide a high level of insulation. The only significant downfall of this solution is that walls made from straw bales are thicker, which means they can perform worse in terms of soundproofing

2. Cork

Just like bamboo, cork is another fast-growing “material”. It can be harvested every 9-12 years, but what is even crazier, cork can be harvested from living trees! It means that you do not need to cut it (like wood). Such a process doesn’t harm the tree because cork bark can regenerate itself. What’s more, during the process of regeneration, it absorbs CO2, which makes it even more eco-friendly!

However, harvesting is not the only plus of such material. Cork is also very flexible, light and resilient from fire or water. It is often used for floor production as it absorbs well noises and can be a natural insulator.

What is a downfall of cork as the sustainable solution is that it grows mainly by the Mediterranean sea, so to use it in different parts of the world, it has to be transported (often by ships which use a lot of energy and generate extra pollution). On the other side, cork is very light, so a lot of it can be transported on one ship (compared to other more traditional materials).