Green materials

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2 years ago

Courtesy : theconstructor.org

Green materials

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Earthen materials like adobe, cob, and rammed earth are being used for construction purposes since yore.
For good strength and durability- chopped straw, grass and other fibrous materials etc. are added to earth.
Even today, structures built with adobe or cob can be seen in some remote areas.

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Wood is one of the most famous building materials used around the world.
But in the process of conversion of raw timber to wood boards and planks, most percentage of wood may get wasted.
This wastage can also be used to make structural parts like walls, boards, doors etc. in the form of engineered wood.
Unlike solid wood, engineered wood contains different layers of wood, usually the middle layers are made of wood scraps, softwoods, wood fibers etc.

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Bamboo is one of the most used multipurpose and durable materials used in construction.
These trees grow faster irrespective of climatic conditions. So, it makes it economical as well.
They can be used to construct frames or supports, walls, floors etc.
They provide a good appearance to the structures.

Structural insulated panels (SIPs) consist of two sheets of oriented strand boards or flake board with a foam layer between them.
They are generally available in larger sizes and are used as walls for the structure.
Because of their large size, they need heavy equipment to install however, they provide good insulation.

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Insulated concrete forms contain two insulation layers with some space in between them. This space contains some arrangement for holding reinforcement bars, after placing reinforcement, concrete is poured into this space.
They are light in weight, fire resistant, low dense and have good thermal and sound insulation properties.

If wood is abundantly available and easily accessible to the site of construction, cordwood construction is recommended.
It requires short and round pieces of wood which are laid one above the other, width wise, and are bonded together by special mortar mix.
They are strong, environmental friendly and also give good appearance to the structure.

Straw bale is another green building material which can be used as framing material for building because of good insulating properties. They can also act as soundproof materials.
Non-load bearing walls of straw bale can be used as fill material in between columns and, in beams framework is recommended.
Since air cannot pass through them, straw bales also have some resistance to fire.

Earth bags or sand bags are also used to construct walls of a structure.
These types of structures can be seen in military bases, near banks of water resources etc.
Generally, bags made of burlap are recommended but they may rot very easily and hence, polypropylene bags are used nowadays.

Steel roof panels and shingles are highly durable and they can be recycled again and again. So, these are the best choices for green roofing materials.

Thatch is nothing but dry straw, dry water reed, dried rushes etc. These are the oldest roofing materials which are still in use in some remote locations of the world and even in cities for aesthetic attractions.
It is cheaply available for roofing and a good insulator too.

Roof panels made of composite materials such as foam or cellulose layer sandwiched between two metal sheets or two plastic sheets also come under green building materials.
They are light in weight, inexpensive and provide good insulation for the structure and save energy.

Natural fibers like cotton, wool can also be used as insulation materials.
Recycled cotton fibers or wool fibers are converted into a batt and installed in preformed wooden frame sections.

Polyurethane foam is available in the form of spray bottles. They are directly sprayed onto the surface or wall or to which part insulation is required.
After spraying it expands and forms a thick layer which hardens later on.
They offer excellent insulation and prevent leakage of air.