Sustainable Building Materials and Emissions

This assignment analyzes the significant role of building construction in carbon dioxide emissions. It delves into the environmental impact of various materials used in building construction and highlights the potential of reusable and recyclable materials to mitigate these emissions. The report emphasizes the importance of adopting sustainable practices in the construction industry to reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to a greener environment.

Running head: SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Summary
The analysis of this report is based on the study of low carbon emitting building materials and
their effects on the environment. This review is done on the basis of various aspects which
include the selection of construction materials containing low amounts of carbon.
The modern construction processes which are innovative in nature are examined in this report.
The management of the consumption of energy by domestic and commercial buildings is taken
into account. The various types of renewable resources which are infinite in nature are discussed
in detail. The processes of recycling and reusing of building materials is explained and the
effects on sustainability of the environment is discussed.
The report is concluded with the learning that sustainability in the environment can be
maintained with the help of recycling and reusing of building materials.

2SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Discussion of low/zero-carbon design technology under the following aspects.............................3
Selecting low carbon construction materials...............................................................................3
Innovative construction process..................................................................................................4
Management of operative consumption behavior and energy consumption...............................4
Selection of renewable energy systems.......................................................................................5
Reuse and recycle........................................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

3SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Introduction
The analysis in the report is based on the study of low-carbon buildings (LCB) that are
especially designed with aim to reduce greenhouse gases. This type of buildings emits notably
less amount of greenhouse gases. These buildings are able to achieve a greenhouse gas reduction
level of 80% as compared to the traditional type of buildings. The stages of the life of the
building when greenhouse gases are emitted from the building are mainly, construction of the
building, operating time of the building and the renovation and construction stage of the
building. The calculation of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions is based on these stages in
the life cycle of the business (Pacheco-Torgal and Labrincha 2013).
Discussion of low/zero-carbon design technology under the following aspects
Selecting low carbon construction materials
The low carbon materials used for construction of buildings fall under carbon sink
building products and materials (La Rosa et al. 2014). The following materials fall under this
category,
 Low-carbon bricks are manufactured in bulk quantities since the year 2009 for
construction purposes. These contain 40% fly ash that helps in reducing the
carbon found in the bricks.
 Green concrete – Byproducts of industrial activities and materials that are
recycled cab replace the raw used to form the traditional concrete.
 Green tiles – These tiles are mainly ceramic materials that are manufactured with
the help of 55% glass that is recycled and many other materials (Loonen et al.
2014).

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 Recycled metals – Metals that are recycled for the use in construction purposes
have less carbon content. The reason being that, metals are usually carbon
intensive and they are able to retain their properties even after recycling. The
energy consumption by metal products can be reduced by using the same metal
products in new building purposes as well (Zuo and Zhao 2014).
Innovative construction process
The low carbon emission in the construction process of a building involves some
innovative methods of construction. The materials used for building purposes include concrete
and steel. Both of these substances emit carbon dioxide. However, steel is 100% recyclable, so
building which are steel framed will emit less carbon as compared to those, which are made of
concrete. Buildings made of steel are also lighter and smaller. The use of timber framing is
another way to reduce the emission of carbon, because timber is known to absorb the carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere (Asdrubali, Alessandro and Schiavoni 2015).
Commercial buildings can be efficient by reduction of the amounts of leakage of air.
Doors need to have the facility of opening and closing rapidly. The efficiency in lighting of the
building will help in reducing the usage of energy. Another innovative method that can be used
in the construction purposes includes making green roofs for the buildings. Buildings made with
steel framings instead of concrete are more favorable because, steel buildings are entirely
recyclable and concrete buildings cannot be recycled (Nguyen, Reiter and Rigo 2014).
Management of operative consumption behavior and energy consumption
The management of the energy consumption of a building is important to keep a track of
the amount of energy that the building consumers and the amount carbon dioxide emitted by the

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building. The buildings account for around 40% of the total consumption of energy and around
36% of the total carbon dioxide emissions. The improvement of the energy efficiency and
consumption of energy can help in the progress of achieving climatic goals (Mottaeva et al.
2016).
The owners of the properties, architects or energy managers and others who are related to
the management of facilities in a building should have the adequate knowledge regarding the
energy efficiency methods of a building so that he can contribute towards a sustainable
environment. The energy use of a building can be reduced up to a large extent with the help of
the tools provided to manage the consumption of energy in an effective manner. This is turn will
help to reduce the carbon emissions of the building (Coelho and De Brito 2012).
Selection of renewable energy systems
Energy sources that exist freely in the nature are called renewable sources, they exist in
the nature in infinite quantities. Renewable energies are somewhat dependent on the sunlight.
The different forms of renewable energies are,
 Solar energy – This type of energy is totally dependent on sunlight and is
collected in many different ways and further converted into energy. This type of
energy is renewable and infinite in nature.
 Wind energy – This type of energy is derived from the movement of air in a fast
pace which forms a wind. Wind energy is useful to generate electricity (Berardi
2012).
 Hydroelectric energy – This type of energy is derived from the flow of water from
an elevated area. This energy is produced with the help of dams.

6SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
 Biomass energy – This type of energy is obtained from the fossils of the plants,
this type of energy is used in all areas of the world.
 Hydrogen and fuel cells – This type of energy is obtained by burning hydrogen
like a fuel. Hydrogen energy is not totally renewable, but is available in abundant
quantities (Basbagill et al. 2013).
Reuse and recycle
The reuse and recycle of the building materials helps in maintaining sustainability in the
environment. The construction of a building should involve those materials, which can be reused
after a redevelopment project of a building. The wastage of materials during a redevelopment
project has an adverse effect on the environment. Owing to this reason, greater efforts need to be
made so that the building process involves more and more reusable materials (Pacheco-Torgal
and Labrincha 2013).
Recycling has a huge potential to saving energy and thereby reusing the products used
for buildings. Recycling strategy can be successfully implemented in the buildings, which
contain huge amounts of energy. As discussed earlier in this report, steel can be used in more
quantities as it is up to 100% reusable (Zuo and Zhao 2014).
Conclusion
From the above analysis, it can be concluded that carbon dioxide emissions from
buildings accounts for huge environmental problems. This problem can be solved by using more
reusable and recyclable materials for buildings, which will help in reducing the emission of

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carbon dioxide in the environment. Sustainability in the environment can be achieved by putting
efforts in constructing buildings with environment friendly and recyclable materials.

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References
Asdrubali, F., D'Alessandro, F. and Schiavoni, S., 2015. A review of unconventional sustainable
building insulation materials. Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 4, pp.1-17.
Basbagill, J., Flager, F., Lepech, M. and Fischer, M., 2013. Application of life-cycle assessment
to early stage building design for reduced embodied environmental impacts. Building and
Environment, 60, pp.81-92.
Berardi, U., 2012. Sustainability assessment in the construction sector: rating systems and rated
buildings. Sustainable Development, 20(6), pp.411-424.
Coelho, A. and De Brito, J., 2012. Influence of construction and demolition waste management
on the environmental impact of buildings. Waste Management, 32(3), pp.532-541.
La Rosa, A.D., Recca, A., Gagliano, A., Summerscales, J., Latteri, A., Cozzo, G. and Cicala, G.,
2014. Environmental impacts and thermal insulation performance of innovative composite
solutions for building applications. Construction and Building Materials, 55, pp.406-414.
Loonen, R.C.G.M., Singaravel, S., Trčka, M., Cóstola, D. and Hensen, J.L.M., 2014. Simulation-
based support for product development of innovative building envelope components. Automation
in Construction, 45, pp.86-95.
Mottaeva, A., Zheltenkov, A., Stukanova, I., Ryabichenko, S. and Zhuk, S., 2016. Innovative
Development of Building Materials Industry of the Region Based on the Cluster Approach.
In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 73, p. 07026). EDP Sciences.

9SUSTAINABLE HOMES USING ZERO-CARBON TECHNOLOGY
Nguyen, A.T., Reiter, S. and Rigo, P., 2014. A review on simulation-based optimization methods
applied to building performance analysis. Applied Energy, 113, pp.1043-1058.
Pacheco-Torgal, F. and Labrincha, J.A., 2013. Biotech cementitious materials: some aspects of
an innovative approach for concrete with enhanced durability. Construction and Building
Materials, 40, pp.1136-1141.
Zuo, J. and Zhao, Z.Y., 2014. Green building research–current status and future agenda: A
review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 30, pp.271-281.