Appraisal of Vernacular Building Materials and Alternative Technoligies for Roofing and Terracing Options of Embodied Energy in Buildings

Ramesh, Srikonda

doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.12.1177

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…For instance, the European Union is promoting the construction of nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB), by targeting that by 2020 on all new European buildings must be nZEB. While buildings become more energy efficient during the operation phase, the importance of the amount of embodied energy in the life cycle energy balance is increasing, thus pushing the need to find alternative materials to those with high embodied energy (Ramesh, 2012) and more efficient manufacturing processes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Earthen Building Materials

Mateus

Fernandes

Teixeira

2020

Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this sense, reducing the embodied energy in materials is a premise to reduce the environmental impacts and achieve more efficient and sustainable buildings. It can also contribute to decreasing the cost of materials and in particular of the life cycle cost of a building as a whole (Ramesh, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Earthen Building Materials

Mateus

Fernandes

Teixeira

2020

Encyclopedia of Renewable and Sustainable Materials

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“…can reduce environmental impacts, as shown by several studies (Praseeda et al, 2014) (Arrigoni et al, 2017;Christoforou et al, 2016;Meli a et al, 2014;Sanz-Calcedo et al, 2012;Shukla et al, 2009;Venkatarama Reddy and Jagadish, 2003). Beyond the environmental advantages, Morel et al (2001) and Ramesh (2012) also concluded that using local materials has socioeconomic benefits, such as to reduce the cost of construction and to foster local economies by paying the cost of the materials and labour locally.…”

Section: Vernacular Materials Versus Conventional Materialsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…(Jorge Zabalza Bribi an et al, 2011). There is the need to change the methods and production chains to follow a path towards environmental protection and sustainable management of resources, e.g., by closing the cycles of the products (Morel et al, 2001;Ramesh, 2012;Zabalza Bribi an et al, 2011). To achieve this goal, it is necessary to move from a linear to a circular production model, which is characterised by a continuous cycle of recycling > production > use > recycling, thus preventing the production of waste (Wadel et al, 2010).…”

Section: Vernacular Materials Versus Conventional Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To change this reality, several authors (Arrigoni et al, 2017;Cabeza et al, 2013;Chel and Tiwari, 2009;Morel et al, 2001;Ramesh, 2012;Shukla et al, 2009;Venkatarama Reddy and Jagadish, 2003) have focused their attention on researching alternatives to current building technologies. Some of these "alternatives" are, in fact, traditional or vernacular construction technologies used by communities for centuries.…”

Section: Vernacular Materials Versus Conventional Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks

Fernandes

Peixoto

Mateus

et al. 2019

Journal of Cleaner Production

106

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Keywords:Vernacular architecture Life-cycle assessment Environmental impacts Rammed earth Compressed earth block (CEB) Earthen architecture a b s t r a c tIn the Portuguese context, the life cycle assessment of building materials is still in its infancy. So far, there is only a small number of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available, all target for industriallybased materials. Although vernacular earthen materials are seen as ecological materials, with low potential environmental impacts, there are no studies that allow to quantitatively compare these materials with conventional ones, according to the applicable standards. In the case of Portugal, there are no EPDs or studies for these materials and the studies available worldwide are hard to compare, since they not follow the same life-cycle assessment methodology. This paper aims at contributing to a better understanding about the environmental performance of earthen materials by presenting results from the life cycle assessment of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) and Rammed earth, based on specific life cycle inventory values obtained from a producer company, following the guidance provided by the standard EN15804. Among other conclusions, results show that CEB and Rammed earth have a total Embodied Energy of 3.94 MJ/block and 596 MJ/1 m 3 and a Global Warming Potential of 0.39 kg CO 2 eq/block and 47.5 kg CO 2 eq./1 m 3 , respectively. In a cradle-to-gate analysis of different walls, the use of earthen building elements can result in reducing the potential environmental impacts in about 50%, when compared to the use of conventional ones. Additionally, the advantages of using earthen materials are also discussed for the different building life-cycle stages, focusing on the possibility to recycle these materials in a closed-loop approach.

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Geo- and Bio-Based Materials as Circular Solutions Towards a Regenerative Built Environment

Fernandes,

Cosentino,

Mateus

2024

Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering

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Global environmental awareness pushes the building sector to achieve carbon neutrality and find low embodied impact solutions. The European Union has set a 2050 goal and is regulating the whole carbon life cycle (embodied and operational) as part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). In this scope, low-tech geo-bio-based materials can have an important role in reducing the embodied environmental impacts and carbon in buildings. Due to their low processing production, these materials fit in a circular approach since they can be easily recycled or returned to the natural environment at a minimal environmental cost. However, the lack of quantitative data on the life cycle environmental performance of some non-conventional techniques can hinder their use since professionals cannot compare the benefits of such versus conventional practice and comply with future EPBD requirements. This paper aims to contribute to the topic by presenting results on the life cycle environmental performance of earthen materials and bio-based insulation products versus conventional solutions based on data from Environmental Product Declarations or studies following the EN15804 standard. The results show that earthen materials can reduce the potential environmental impacts by about 50% versus conventional mansory walls. At the same time, bio-based insulation solutions offer the advantage of lowering operational carbon emissions and stocking carbon (e.g. straw has a Global Warming Potential performance about three times better than Expanded Polystyrene). The benefits of using earthen and bio-based materials are also discussed for the different building life-cycle stages, focusing on the possibility of reusing/recycling these materials in a closed-loop approach.

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Appraisal of Vernacular Building Materials and Alternative Technoligies for Roofing and Terracing Options of Embodied Energy in Buildings

Cited by 17 publications

References 4 publications

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Earthen Building Materials

Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Earthen Building Materials

Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks

Geo- and Bio-Based Materials as Circular Solutions Towards a Regenerative Built Environment

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