Sustainability Scores for Concrete

This article is based on the research at the time, about the long term sustainability of concrete in the long term. They even go as far as to suggest that in 40 years people who have brought a lightweight timber home may be regretting their decision, as their homes may regularly over heat. The findings of the research states. That over the life of a home, the whole life operational CO² emissions of a house have far more environmental impact than the embodied CO² of the materials used to build. In The UK 50% of the carbon emissions are due to the energy used to heat, cool and light buildings, thus amplifying the importance of evaluating the energy consumption a building when selecting construction materials. The study uses future climate conditions to further understand potential needs of buildings in the future. It was deduced that thermal massing can reduce air conditioning needs as well as the capture of solar gains thus reducing heating fuels. It id these savings that will slightly off set the embodied CO² in masonry construction.



This taken from "Concrete for the Construction Industry, Vol 40, Num 6, July 2006" page28-29