[Infographic: Pratt Center for Sustainable Design Strategies]

Sustainable materials management is a systematic method of using and reusing materials more productively over their full life cycles. Global consumption of materials has quickly risen over the last century. This has resulted in habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and desertification, according to the EPA. Materials management is linked to an estimated 42% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. This is why we need to adopt more sustainable ways to manage materials, for the sake of Earth.

Smart Surfaces Coalition is promoting cost-effective sustainable material solutions, including cool roofs, permeable pavement, green roofs, and solar panels. More than 20 leading sustainability organizations, including the USGBC, formed the coalition. “The Smart Surfaces Coalition shows cities how to use advanced surface technologies to reduce heat and prevent flooding,” says Greg Kats, the coalition’s founder. “These solutions deliver enormous health and financial benefits, slowing global warming, enhancing quality of life, and saving taxpayers billions of dollars in energy costs.”

[Infographic: Smart Surfaces Coalition]
 

The USGBC reports that implementing smart surfaces will help U.S. cities cut excess heat days by half, save $700 billion, and create 270,000 jobs. Sustainable surfaces also reduce flooding and combat the urban heat island effect. The Smart Surfaces Coalition is already working with a dozen cities to provide training and resources to city officials. “Cities are increasingly at risk from severe summer heat,” Kats says. “This coalition will support adoption of smart surface technologies to save billions of dollars and cut greenhouse gases while making cities cooler, more resilient, healthier, and equitable.”

The societal and environmental benefits to implementing sustainable building materials in projects is undeniable. The most sustainable building materials have a lower environmental impact, like reused or recycled materials. Green building materials are durable and require less energy to manufacture. They don’t deplete scarce resources and can be locally sourced to reduce transportation emissions.

Let’s take a look at five sustainable building materials that are making waves in the industry.


Precast concrete panel provide stellar performance and efficiency. [Photo: Courtesy of Fabcon]

1. Precast Concrete

Concrete is one of the most common building materials in the world because of its durability and strength, but precast concrete is proving itself to be one of the most sustainable building materials. Precast concrete is produced in a controlled manufacturing plant and then transported to a site already reinforced and finished according to specification, which eliminates the need to cast concrete on-site and shortens the installation time. This makes precast concrete building less disruptive to the site environment, producing less construction debris, dust, noise, and pollution.

The materials used in precast concrete can be locally sourced, including the cement, the coarse and fine aggregates, and the steel, which reduces shipping waste and overall carbon footprint. Precast concrete units can be disassembled in an existing structure to be moved or reconfigured, and the concrete can be crushed and reused as aggregate. Fabcon Precast, a leader in the precast concrete industry, uses a combination of concrete and EPS foam that maximizes the foam in the concrete piece—increasing insulation capabilities.

[Photo: Courtesy of Fabcon]

Regular concrete usually has a thermal resistance rating of about 0.11 per inch of thickness, while precast concrete can provide double the resistance—0.22 per inch of thickness. Precast concrete can be dense or lightweight, giving builders options when deciding on the level of thermal insulation needed. Concrete itself is an effective fire barrier. Precast concrete wall panels are capable of providing a two- to four-hour fire rating. And they stay intact even in hot chemical fires. Precast is also resistant to rain penetration and wind-blown debris, offering protection from storms and harsh weather.

The light color of precast concrete reflects more sunlight and heat than dark surfaces, reducing the “urban heat island” effect and cutting air conditioning costs. You can potentially save millions of dollars in energy costs per year. New buildings with precast concrete structures can also earn up to 23 LEED certification points, according to the Little Green Book of Concrete, published by the National Precast Concrete Association.

Cross laminated timber is a strong, lightweight, and sustainable building material. [Photo: Courtesy of Oregon Forest Resources Institute]
 

Terrazzo is a mosaic style of flooring where small pieces of marble or granite are set in polished concrete or epoxy resin. With simple maintenance, these floors can last 40 years or more without losing their brilliance. Modeled after 20th century Italian work, original terrazzo was set in cement, but now 90% of terrazzo floors are made with an epoxy resin.

Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies, a leading company in the terrazzo industry, makes what they call “forever floors.” The company manufactures its own epoxy that acts as a binder holding the chips together, allowing them to incorporate materials like aluminum, zinc, and brass, along with recycled products like glass, porcelain, marble, and even beer bottles as aggregate. “We take a lot of things that would be put into the waste stream that we can reclaim and reuse in a terrazzo floor,” says James Bateman, division manager of the company.

 

[Photo: Courtesy of Terrazzo & Marble Supply Companies]

Terrazzo is poured in place, so there’s a lot of color and design flexibility, and the flooring is one seamless surface, which alleviates hygiene issues. These floors are very easy to clean and can be used in high-traffic areas like schools, stadiums, and airports.

Known for design flexibility and remarkable durability, using this sustainable building material may carry a higher upfront cost, but its durability and life expectancy often make it the most affordable option in the long run compared to life cycle costs for carpet, porcelain, or other flooring materials. A terrazzo floor might cost five times more than carpet, but Bateman says you will probably have to replace that carpet six times during the life of one terrazzo installation, making this classic floor a modern sustainable building material.

Terrazzo is poured in place, so there’s a lot of color and design flexibility, and the flooring is one seamless surface, which alleviates hygiene issues. These floors are very easy to clean and can be used in high-traffic areas like schools, stadiums, and airports.

Known for design flexibility and remarkable durability, using this sustainable building material may carry a higher upfront cost, but its durability and life expectancy often make it the most affordable option in the long run compared to life cycle costs for carpet, porcelain, or other flooring materials. A terrazzo floor might cost five times more than carpet, but Bateman says you will probably have to replace that carpet six times during the life of one terrazzo installation, making this classic floor a modern sustainable building material.

Orignally printed in gb&d magazine.