Efficient Use of Materials
Construction materials are chosen for a number of reasons, including:
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cost
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availability
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performance
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aesthetic quality
Increasingly, projects are including environmental performance as a specification consideration. The environmental performance of materials can be assessed in a number of ways, these are described in the table provided.
| Material | Example |
|---|---|
| Reclaimed/Reused | Reuse of a brick as a brick Reuse of reclaimed slate tiles on roofs |
| Recycled | Reuse of a crushed brick as aggregate Reuse of timber beams as street furniture |
| Materials with recycled content | Plasterboard that is made with 85% recycled gypsum Blockwork that is made with 50% recycled aggregate |
| Environmentally labelled | BRE Green Guide A+ rated materials – the Green Guide provides a simple online guide (thegreenguide.org.uk) to the environmental impacts of building materials. |
| Low embodied energy | Use of plywood boards instead of chipboard Use of glasswool insulation instead of polystyrene |
| Locally produced materials | Sand and gravel from available sources in Hertfordshire Use of UK sources for all other materials |
| Natural materials | Using natural slate rather than artificial slate Using thermafleece (sheep wool) or mineral wool rather than foam insulation |
| Materials with good whole life performance | Use of aluminium faced timber windows rather than PVC windows |