Sustainable Building
Sustainable building is a design philosophy that focuses on the efficient utilisation of resources without compromising the environment i.e without depleting non-renewable resources, making it a better space for future generations to come.
Basic principles of sustainable building
The basic principles of sustainable building are using green materials or having a sustainable approach for designing. These materials are usually from renewable sources, recyclable, long-lasting ones and creating minimum waste & minimum harm to nature.
Advantages of sustainable buildings
Energy Efficiency
While building a sustainable home the focus is on designing it in a way to consume less energy and uses more of the environment and from the environment like using natural light sources, which helps increase thermal regulation and also helps you save cost at the same time making it effective and efficient at the same time, sustainable materials produce more output with less effort.
Cost Reduction
When we use sustainable materials, they automatically reduce maintenance and operational cost drastically. Sustainable building materials include solar roofs and advanced water sources which are durable and renewable helping you reduce cost-effectively
Health benefits
sustainable materials actively help increase the quality of air in your surroundings, rapid shift to urbanization has left the quality of air to Detroit over time making it very harmful and difficult the survive in these conditions. Sustainable materials combined with new technologies possess features like filtrations, insulation and exchange of air from outside to inside etc
Sustainable Materials to Replace Concrete
Cow dung bricks:
These bricks are getting more and more popular lately, India being a land of agriculture, farming is one of the major sources of income to many. Cow dung bricks is a way of using animal waste it is natural, it is biodegradable and with the help of modern technology, they are durable hence making it both economic and environment friendly.
Hempcrete:
Hempcrete is a combination of the woody fibres of the hemp plant and lime, the resulting mixture is very lightweight and pretty strong. The hemp plant is an ideal and sustainable building material because it fast-growing plant.
Bamboo:
Houses made of bamboo is as old as time. Bamboo is a sustainable building material because it is strong, lightweight and fast-growing making it an incredible alternative to concrete.
Mycelium:
Mycelium is a fungus-like bacterial colony, it is like a vegetative part of a fungus and mushroom. Mycelium is mainly found on soil, compost, natural materials and other substrates like straw or mould. once they dry they are strong and lightweight.
Ferrick :
It is a composition of waste steel dust from steel companies that are upcycled, for rock is carbon neutral as it hardens and dries it is capable of absorbing and trapping CO2 which makes it incredibly strong.
Ashecrete:
As the name suggests Ashecrete is fly ash a byproduct of coal. Accrete is a green alternative to concrete made up of 100% Waste Materials ashecrete can replace 97% of the traditional components in concrete with waste materials.
Timbercrete:
Timbercrete is a new material added to sustainable building materials, Timbercrete is a combination of sawdust, cellulose, cement, sand, and other binders to enhance the strength of the block strength and prevent water penetration.
charcoal bio-bricks:
these Bricks are made from loofah and charcoal which encourages biodiversity, Plants and insects can easily survive on the surface of these Green Charcoal bio-bricks, produced as an alternative to concrete bricks, It helps cool down the ambience, controls temperature and purifies the air.
Green concrete:
It consists of recycled and waste materials such as mining wastes, glass wastes, mud, sawdust, burnt clay, etc. It is low maintenance and long-lasting & also provides fire & thermal resistance.
Plastic bricks:
plastic waste is mixed with cement aggregates forming the shape of bricks. These are lighter in weight, have high tensile strength & also have good noise n heat-insulating properties.
Bagasse particleboard
bagasse is a fibrous residue that is left after sugarcane is crushed, thus being a bi-product of sugarcane crush can be an excellent substitute to plywood.
Rice husk ash concrete
the charred remains after burning rice husk when mixed with concrete shows high performance in tensile & compressive strength & also is chemical & corrosion resistant.
AAC Autoclave Aerated Blocks:
they are prepared from industrial waste & are energy efficient, earthquake resistant, mols-resistant, fire-resistant, cost-effective and have a longer life.
Porotherm bricks:
they are made from clay mixed with other natural products like rice ash husk, sawdust, coal ash, etc. As they are hollow from the inside, are lightweight & durable along with providing low water absorption, fire-proof, and good thermal insulation.
Straw bales:
straw bales can be planted & harvested & hence are renewable & affordable building materials. When used in walls or roofs, they help keep the temperature warmer in winters & cooler in summers, hence seen its use in traditional houses of India.
Cork:
it is harvested from cork oak tree barks & hence a sustainable building material. Mostly used for insulation purpose.
Conclusion
Thus by adapting to the usability of these materials, our industry can do our bit to preserve & protect nature against the destruction & degradation caused to the environment by our materials & methods of construction.