Green Materials Saves The Day
Building materials that are environmentally friendly are those that do not harm the environment during their manufacture, use, or disposal, and can be easily recycled. In the long term, using green materials in construction pays off. A green home decreases carbon emissions and saves energy, resulting in lower energy bills.
With the inevitable growth in housing issues and global climate change, it is more important than ever to decrease our energy usage and choose intelligently when it comes to construction materials. There are numerous environmentally friendly construction green materials that are both energy efficient and non-harmful to the environment. While there are numerous, only a few stand out because of their accessibility, affordability, and dependability.
Ferrock
It’s a relatively new substance that makes use of recycled materials like steel dust from the steel industry or ferrous rock left over from industrial processes that would otherwise be thrown away. It produces a concrete-like building material that is more durable than concrete. As part of the drying and hardening process, it retains and absorbs carbon dioxide.
As a result, ferrock is carbon neutral and emits significantly less CO2 than regular concrete. It may be combined and poured to build driveways, staircases, paths, and other structures, and it is a suitable alternative to cement. Some scientists claim ferrock is more weather resistant than concrete.
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Mycelium
It is a completely natural building material. The root system of fungus and mushrooms is made up of mycelium, a natural unicellular creature. In molds or forms, it could be coaxed to grow around a composite of other natural materials, such as ground-up straw. The lightweight and sturdy bricks or other shapes are then air-dried.
Mycelium could be molded into practically any shape and utilized as a remarkably strong building material when combined with pasteurized sawdust. There is the possibility to make strong and lightweight bricks and construction parts. Since this mushroom-based building material can tolerate high temperatures, it’s an organic and compostable alternative to home insulation, Styrofoam, and even concrete.
HempCrete
It’s a concrete-like material made from the hemp plant’s woody inner fibers. The fibers are bonded with lime to create strong and light concrete-like shapes. Hemp concrete bricks are lightweight, lowering the amount of energy required to transport them.
Hempcrete is durable, thermally and acoustically insulating, and fire resistant. Its most important sustainable feature is that it is CO2 negative, which means it absorbs more CO2 than it emits. Hemp is a fast-growing, renewable, and green material resource in itself.
Rammed Earth
It is a technology that has been utilized for thousands of years and lasts a very long period in human civilization. It is a common and cost-effective method of constructing solid foundations, floors, and walls by compacting natural materials such as chalk, earth, gravel, or lime.
When tightly compressed in wooden molds, it produces walls that resemble concrete. The use of rebar or bamboo in rammed earth structures makes them safer or stronger. The use of a mechanical tamper can drastically minimize the amount of time and effort required to build solid walls. Thermal storage can be achieved by using rammed earth walls and floors, which allow the sun to warm them during the day and gently release the warmth during the cooler evenings.
Plant-based Polyurethane Rigid Foam
Rigid foam has long been utilized as a building insulation material. It was originally used when the EPA punished and eventually closed down a leading surfboard material company for utilizing a harmful material. The new surfboard material was manufactured from bamboo, kelp, and hemp-based polyurethane rigid foam, revitalizing the surfboard industry.
It’s now used in a variety of industries, including the production of turbine blades and furniture. Because the material is stiff and immovable, it can be utilized as insulation. It also provides protection against mold and pests. It is also heat resistant, mold and pest resistant, and can be used as sound insulation.