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http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/
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Welcome to Sustainable Build, a knowledgeable UK resource dedicated to a topic which is becoming ever more important to the future of our planet. These days, most people know the likely future consequences of climate change and global warming. Global temperatures continue to rise and weve already seen the impact of changing weather and seasons. Drought is an increasing problem which is leading to falling crop yields and an increase in diseases such as malaria in countries overseas. Water is becoming ever more precious and even in the UK, plants and animals are already being affected by changes in weather patterns and loss of habitats. Of course were not saying that building your new home the eco-friendly way will reduce global warming. We all know there is no quick fix to the climate change problem - but sustainable building is just one of the many ways in which we can do our bit. Sustainable Build is suitable for everyone whether you are planning a totally new building focusing on sustainable materials and renewable power or you just want to try to introduce some sustainability into your present home or garden.
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7/28/2011 11:05 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/
in financial terms. Of course, if finance isnt an issue then this will be well worth it since at least the planet will be better off!
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7/28/2011 11:05 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/
from a sustainable source. These days, many people see the worth in building with bricks from a demolition project because they are readily available and re-using materials is even better than recycling. Its also important to consider the impact of your choice of supplier. By choosing a local supplier, you will avoid the carbon emissions associated with long distance haulage and you will also be contributing to the local economy. When planning something new, theres no substitute for seeing how an expert does it. Thanks to our video guides, you can now watch how the experts undertake traditional lime plastering or lime pointing.
9.....And Finally
Once your project is finished, you want to make sure that you are living in a healthy home so you should consider eco-friendly paints and check out our guide to indoor pollutants which can cause health problems for asthmatics or those living with allergies. If its inspiration you are looking for, then we are adding new case studies regularly so you can learn from other successful projects. You can also take advantage of our free newsletter which keeps you up-to-date with new articles and favourite topics. Last but not least, we dont want to be simply talking at you. Wed love to hear about your own ideas and projects so that other readers can share your knowledge or experience. Visit our Facebook group to post ideas, ask questions of like-minded people and keep up-to-date with a rapidly changing topic.
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Financing Your Build: Grants and Loans for Green Development, Budgeting...
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7/28/2011 11:05 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/PollutionFromConstruction.html
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The construction industry is a major source of pollution, responsible for around 4% of particulate emissions, more water pollution incidents than any other industry, and thousands of noise complaints every year. Although construction activities also pollute the soil, the main areas of concern are: air, water and noise pollution.
Air Pollution
Construction activities that contribute to air pollution include: land clearing, operation of diesel engines, demolition, burning, and working with toxic materials. All construction sites generate high levels of dust (typically from concrete, cement, wood, stone, silica) and this can carry for large distances over a long period of time. Construction dust is classified as PM10 - particulate matter less than 10 microns in diameter, invisible to the naked eye. Research has shown that PM10 penetrate deeply into the lungs and cause a wide range of health problems including respiratory illness, asthma, bronchitis and even cancer. Another major source of PM10 on construction sites comes from the diesel engine exhausts of vehicles and heavy equipment. This is known as diesel particulate matter (DPM) and consists of soot, sulphates and silicates, all of which readily combine with other toxins in the atmosphere, increasing the health risks of particle inhalation. Diesel is also responsible for emissions of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide. Noxious vapours from oils, glues, thinners, paints, treated woods, plastics, cleaners and other hazardous chemicals that are widely used on construction sites, also contribute to air pollution.
Water Pollution
Sources of water pollution on building sites include: diesel and oil; paint, solvents, cleaners and other harmful chemicals; and construction debris and dirt. When land is cleared it causes soil erosion that leads to silt-bearing run-off and sediment pollution. Silt and soil that runs into natural waterways turns them turbid, which restricts sunlight filtration and destroys aquatic life. Surface water run-off also carries other pollutants from the site, such as diesel and oil, toxic chemicals, and building materials like cement. When these substances get into waterways they poison water life and any animal that drinks from them. Pollutants on construction sites can also soak into the groundwater, a source of human drinking water. Once contaminated, groundwater is much more difficult to treat than surface water.
Noise Pollution
Construction sites produce a lot of noise, mainly from vehicles, heavy equipment and machinery, but also from people shouting and radios turned up too loud. Excessive noise is not only annoying and
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7/28/2011 11:10 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/PollutionFromConstruction.html
distracting, but can lead to hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleep disturbance and extreme stress. Research has shown that high noise levels disturb the natural cycles of animals and reduces their usable habitat.
Pressure to Clean Up
The UK Environment Agency and other government bodies are putting increasing pressure on construction companies to reduce pollution and conform to environmental regulations. In the past the pollution fines have been low and environmental regulations slack, and it could have been perceived as cheaper to pollute than to prevent pollution. This situation is now changing, and enforcement of environmental regulations is not only very expensive but can be irreversibly damaging to the reputation of a firm. Measures to reduce and control pollution are relatively inexpensive and cost-effective, and the construction industry needs to incorporate these into an environmental management strategy. By employing these practices, the construction industry is well positioned to clean up its act.
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Cob Building
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7/28/2011 11:10 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ReclaimedMaterials.html
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The construction industry is under increasing pressure to become sustainable. One way to address this is through the use of reclaimed materials. Reclaimed materials are those that have been previously used in a building or project, and which are then re-used in another project. The materials might be altered, re-sized, refinished, or adapted, but they are not reprocessed in any way, and remain in their original form. Materials that have been reprocessed and reused in the building industry are referred to as recycled materials. Examples of materials that can be reclaimed include: bricks, slate roofing, ceramic tiles, fireplaces, doors, window frames, glass panels, metal fixtures and fittings, stairs, cobbled stones, steel sections and timber. A reclaimed material is often adapted for a different use, for example a roof beam might be used as a mantelpiece. This is known as re-purposing.
Why Reclaim?
The building industry has a massive impact on the environment in terms of energy consumption, use of natural resources, pollution and waste. Every year in the UK, construction materials account for around: 6 tonnes of materials per person, 122 million tonnes of waste (1/3 of total UK waste) and 18% of carbon dioxide emissions, a major contributor to global climate change. On top of this, the embodied costs associated with the extraction, production, manufacture and transportation of building materials are immense. Using reclaimed materials can significantly reduce these environmental impacts, and save up to 95% of the embodied costs by preventing unnecessary production of new materials, and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.
An Untapped Market
Although there are substantial environmental benefits to using reclaimed materials, the market is virtually untapped. At the moment, only 1% of reclaimed materials are used in new building projects, a percentage that should really be higher. One of the barriers has been a lack of information about
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7/28/2011 11:11 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ReclaimedMaterials.html
sourcing and using the materials in design and development - including knowledge of specifications, standards, legislation and performance. But there are economic barriers too, including the cost of extraction in deconstruction, the limited flexibility of reclaimed materials, and problems of storing and double handling of materials between sites. In addition, medium to large building projects cannot take advantage of the reclamation industry, because the salvage supply chain is not yet equipped to deal with large orders.
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Cob Building
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7/28/2011 11:11 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/StoneVersusBrick.html
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Stone is a beautiful natural material that can be cut to any size, and will enhance the exterior or interior of any building. A stone-clad building has a natural elegance to it, that gives it a timeless quality. Brick can be made to any shape and most sizes, and because it is a man-made material, can be very flexible in its quality and potential uses. The use of red brick particularly can make a property very distinctive. The use of stone in an eco-friendly construction, or a green building, has both advantages and some disadvantages. The same can be said of brick. They can also be used together, which has some construction value in terms of insulation, but also expensive, and un-ecological in terms of transport costs.
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7/28/2011 11:12 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/StoneVersusBrick.html
Stone buildings are also notoriously colder. They are great in hot climates where the thick stones keep the inside cool, but heat doesn't get effectively trapped by stone. Creating an insulation layer of either thin wood or a rendering of lime can help this. Brick, on the other hand, takes as much resources from the land as stone, in the different components used. Also the heating process to cook the brick has an environmental impact. There is much more opportunity to get exactly the type, texture, size and colour of brick you need to construct with, which is a big advantage. Unfortunately, the material is likely to come from further away, so bear in mind this important environmental impact of travel. If cost is the most important factor in design and construction of your project, brick is going to be the cheaper material to use.It is easier to use, and the skills involved in building with brick are less and easier to learn.
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7/28/2011 11:12 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/EcoFriendlyConstruction.html
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Eco-friendly, or ecological, construction is building a structure that is beneficial or non-harmful to the environment, and resource efficient. Otherwise known as green building, this type of construction is efficient in its use of local and renewable materials, and in the energy required to build it, and the energy generated while being within it. Eco-friendly construction has developed in response to the knowledge that buildings have an often negative impact upon our environment and our natural resources. This includes transporting materials hundreds or thousands of miles, which has a negative impact in the energy required to transport them, and also in emissions of hazardous chemicals from a poorly designed building that creates, and traps them.
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7/28/2011 11:13 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/EcoFriendlyConstruction.html
The varied use of solar panels for domestic hot water heating, Water conservation, possibly including biological waste water treatment and re-use, and the simple collection and recycling of rainwater for garden use, Low energy lightbulbs, which can last up to 100 times longer than regular bulbs, Cellulose insulation (like the paper in the above example), Non-toxic or lead-free paints and wood preservatives, Locally-grown and harvested timber from sustainably managed forests.
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Stone vs Brick
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7/28/2011 11:13 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/CarbonFootprinting.html
Home > Construction Methods > Carbon Footprints and How to Reduce Them
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A carbon footprint is used to calculate the amount of damage caused by an individual, household, institution or business to the environment through harmful carbon dioxide emissions. Reducing carbon dioxide emissions is seen as essential to sustaining the environment and can be achieved in two ways:
Carbon Offsetting. Alternatively you can reduce overall carbon emissions by 'offsetting' your carbon emissions. This involves actively promoting the reduction of carbon emissions, whilst not necessarily making a change to your business practice. In this way a large company - for example - may continue to burn fossil fuels at their current rate, yet contribute to an overall reduction in carbon emissions by investing in initiatives that actively reduce carbon emissions. The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty on climate change, presided over by the UN and subscribed to, currently, by 164 countries worldwide. The treaty demands that full signatories reduce their carbon emissions (their carbon footprint) as part of a common initiative. This is achieved either by a reduction of emissions, or by 'carbon offsetting'. The UK, as a signatory is legally obligated to reduce fossil fuel emissions, within given targets. Initiatives are being phased in to achieve such reductions and companies and institutions are bound by law to comply. The Kyoto Protocol operates on a two-tier system that requires 'Annex I' countries (industrialised nations, who consume the most carbon) to reduce their emissions, whilst developing countries can continue to burn fossil fuel at their current rate. Countries are allocated 'carbon credits', which dictate how much carbon they are allowed to use. An Annex I country can buy carbon credits from a developing country, thus enabling them to burn fossil fuel without overstepping worldwide carbon limitations. As it stands there is no legal obligation in the UK for individuals to reduce fuel emissions, except in the workplace, where they will do so as part of company policy. However, many people are concerned about the environment and, therefore, take steps to minimise their carbon usage.
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7/28/2011 11:14 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/CarbonFootprinting.html
There are many ways that companies and institutions can reduce carbon emissions.Here are just a few: Enacting a recycling policy. Enacting and promoting a car-sharing scheme amongst its employees. Encouraging employees to walk or cycle to work. Educating employees in the need to reduce carbon emissions. Reducing the need for air travel. Reducing the use of electricity. Developing new methods of work and manufacturing that are less harmful to the environment. As an individual it is possible to do much of the above yourself. If your workplace does not have an initiative for reducing carbon emissions then you could possibly offer to develop and promote such a program.
Carbon Offsetting
There are many ways to offset carbon. Buying 'carbon credits' from developing nations and using them in 'Annex I' countries is one such way. Arguably, however, this does not address the dependence of industrialised nations on fossil fuels. It is possible for an organisation to buy carbon emissions and not use them, thus reducing carbon usage, rather then merely 'offsetting' carbon whilst continuing to operate harmful industrial practices. Planting trees is a popular way to offset carbon. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen. This process is called sequestration. Many companies invest in tree planting initiatives in order to offset their carbon. It is possible as an individual to invest in such schemes. Alternatively, you could plant trees yourself, in your own garden. This is a relatively inexpensive and rewarding way of contributing to environmental well-being. Other forms of carbon offsetting include investing in organisations that promote awareness of environmental issues and supporting sustainable technologies (such as solar or wind power).
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Cob Building
Insulation Materials
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7/28/2011 11:14 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/LocallySustainableMaterials.html
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Sustainable building is an essential aspect of widening efforts to conceive an ecologically responsible world. A building that is sustainable must, by nature, be constructed using locally sustainable materials: i.e. materials that can be used without any adverse effect on the environment, and which are produced locally, reducing the need to travel. There are key criteria that can be used to judge whether a material is sustainable or not: To what extent will the materials used in this building cause damage to the environment? When using locally sustainable materials it is essential that those materials are renewable, non-toxic and, therefore, safe for the environment. Ideally, they will be recycled, as well as recyclable. To what extent will a building material contribute to the maintenance of the environment in years to come? Alloys and metals will be more damaging to the environment over a period of years as they are not biodegradable, and are not easily recyclable, unlike wood, for example. To what extent is the material used locally replenishable? If the material is locally sourced and can be found locally for the foreseeable future, travelling will be kept to a minimum, reducing harmful fuel emissions.
Green Architects
If you need help with design use a 'Green Architect.' The Royal Institution of British Architects can advise you on finding a suitable practitioner.
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7/28/2011 11:15 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/LocallySustainableMaterials.html
trading standards specifies that a product must be useful for the purpose it was sold for: If you ask for sustainable materials, and are sold them, you are legally entitled to get just that! Some wood is certified as coming from a sustainable source. This certification is legally binding.
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7/28/2011 11:15 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/SustainableLocationsCategory.html
Brownfield Sites
In the UK a brownfield site is defined as previously developed land that has the potential for being redeveloped. It is often (but not always) land that has been used...
Greenfield Sites
Greenfield sites are areas of land, usually agricultural or amenity land, which are being considered for urban development. This is a highly contentious issue,...
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7/28/2011 11:18 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/SustainableDesignCategory.html
Compost Toilets
Composting toilets (also called biological, dry or waterless toilets) are systems that treat human excrement through biological processes, turning it into organic...
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7/28/2011 11:19 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/SustainableDesignCategory.html
building be wholly
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resource. Rising demand, You should seek independent professional advice before acting upon water pollution and any information on the SustainableBuild website. Please read our Disclaimer. climate change are a
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huge threat to & Privacy fresh water Terms supplies. The construction...
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7/28/2011 11:19 PM
http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/ConstructionTypesCategory.html
Stone Construction
Stone has been used as a building material for thousands of years. It has long been recognised as a material of great durability and superior artistic quality, the...
Underground Construction
Underground construction has been around for thousands of years, mostly developed through mining and more recently through transport, housing and commercial industries....
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You should seek independent professional advice before acting upon any information on the SustainableBuild website. Please read our Disclaimer. SustainableBuild 2000-2011 Terms & Privacy
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7/28/2011 11:20 PM