GREEN BUILDING MATERIAL

The different types of green materials are:

• Natural sustainable material
• Man made sustainable material

NATURAL SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

1. Bamboo

Bamboo is an important element which can balance oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  Its rapid growth, without chemical fertilisers, pesticides and takes 3 - 5 years to be harvested. These "green" features make bamboo a very good “green “product.

Highly renewable due to its fast growing nature, bamboo is as a plant, excellent for the environment, due to its ability to form micro climates and its incredible absorption of carbon dioxide.  Bamboo in today's time is used in our lives in various places from furniture, flooring, packing . as its one of the best green product because of its growing rate and its eco friendly qualities ,it is now being used in green interiors and architecture or in other words u can say it is one of the best green building product.

Already accepted as an extremely hard wearing, durable and beautiful flooring medium, bamboo is suitable material for framing, joists, bearers and roof trusses.  Bamboo offers incredible strength to bear the load.

Here are the few uses of bamboo, as a green building product.

Bamboo Panel:

Bamboo panel is made from 100 percent rapidly renewable bamboo. Bamboo panel consists of multiple layers of bamboo, where the middle layer can be either horizontal or vertical grain. These bamboo panel are especially interesting in those applications where the side of panel remains visible, like steps of a staircase and kitchen work tops, doors, cabinets and many other interior .

Bamboo Flooring:

Bamboo floor is an eco-friendly and environmental flooring. Bamboo floor has very wide varieties, including solid, engineered, strand woven, heating, decking, industrial and flooring accessories. It has horizontal or flat pressed, vertical side pressed and strand woven. Strand woven has higher density than horizontal or vertical. which gives a customers  who is interested in green product or green flooring.

Bamboo Fence:

Bamboo fence is produced with best bamboo poles, chosen for their consistent quality and colour. They are basically tied together with or without frame .and are made in different design and in pattern .they are basically preferred in round shape  tiered with a metal wired or with jute rope. Bamboo fence is aesthetically pleasing, durable and easy to install. The incredible strength of bamboo out-performs the very best timbers in hardness and dimensional stability.

Bamboo Edge Banding:

Edge banding is material which is used for finishing the edges of a furniture piece a cabinet , wardrobe etc. It comes in different colour ,thickness, grain, length shape(flat or little round or with some pattern). It can be polished as well.

   2. Timber

Timber is one of the most used materials in construction. Timbers are used mostly in construction (main frame work), wood work like cabinet, shelf, wardrobe, kitchen, Flooring, furniture and more interior finishes. It’s natural, renewable and flexibility quality makes it a excellent “green “ material or product.

There are many varieties of trees that can be planted in a food forest without impacting on the food producing trees. One great source of sustainable material is recycled timber.  Timber ages with time, increasing in strength and hardness.  Recycled timber actually looks better than its freshly harvested.  The downside of the increased hardness is that a lot of tradesman doesn’t like to work with it.  

Here are the few uses of timber, as a green building product.

Timber Furniture:

Most of the furniture at our house ,office etc is made up timber ,for making a green building we can replace normal timber by sustainable timber which is a renewable natural green product. Timber like pine, cork, bamboo is mainly used for making green or sustainable furniture.

Timber Flooring:

Timber flooring as we say are present in the market in a wide varieties including engineered, solid, decking flooring etc.

Structural Support Timber:

Sustainable timber can be excellent structure support of a building (home, office). They can be used in the main framing of the building. As they are consider strong, durable and can bear the load. The timber also used on display them as exposed beams or columns.

Timber door and windows:

Sustainable timber is also can be used in windows and doors. It fits well for interiors as well as exteriors. It can be easily used for windows as it has to survive the rain and heat.

Exposed beams or columns:

Sustainable timber is also used to cover exposed beams and Columns. Green timber is also used for covering wall as wall finishes.

Timber staircase:

There are a wide variety of sustainable timber used for making timber staircase due to there strong and durable properties.

PROCESS OF RECYCLE TIMBER:

Once the timber has been brought to the factory then all the nails and metal bolts are removed ,that are lodged in the wood. This whole process is very labour intensive. The timber is then dried after which it is cut into planks and skimmed. Depending on the timber, it may need a further period of drying after skimming. Different type of timber needs different amount of time to get dry. This may take a period of few days to finish the recycle.

3. Straw

Straw is considered one of the very important sustainable products. Straw is basically obtained from rice and wheat. As it is rice and wheat peal it is used in various places in construction as well as in making a lot of interior products.

Here are the few uses of straw, as a green building product.

Particle Board:

Straw is used in manufacture of particle board. Particle board is mainly used in inner walls and is sound absorbing. It has very good mechanical strength and water absorption.

Straw Board:

Straw board is made from straw as the name itself says. It is used for walls and roofing after mixing it with binder and is covered with outside layers like timber.

Cement Bonded Board:

Cement bonded board is made after combining or bonding both the materials (cement and straw). It is a excellent building material as it is cheaply recyclable building material and provides thermal insulation. It is used in building block for construction and it is also used in ceiling panels.

Thatched Roofs:

Straw is also used to make thatched roof by mixing binders. It is considered very low cost, durable, and it is fire hazard.

4. Jute

Jute is basically a vegetable fibre used that can be spun into strong threads and then into rope It is a strong, durable, colour and light-fast fibre. It has UV protection, sound and heat insulation, low thermal conduction and it is anti-static. Jute fibre is 100% bio-degradable and recyclable and thus environmentally friendly. It is also easily available, affordable, and jute fibre and threads are used in various places. It can be grown in 4-6 months that can meet most of the wood need. Jute is the most environment-friendly fibre starting from the seed to expired fibre. The expired fibres can be recycled more than once.

Here are the few uses of jute, as a green building product.

Carpet & Rugs:

Jute is a very important part of making carpets and rugs . Base of most of the carpets and rugs are made up of jute. Jute Mats & Rugs are made both through Power loom & Hand loom.

Furniture:

Jute plays a very important role  in couch and sofa making. All the inner upholstery is done with jute as, it has a high tensile strength, which means it stretches a lot before tearing. It has natural fire-resistant properties, and the material is lightweight and very inexpensive.

Upholstery: 

As mentioned above jute has a high tensile strength, which means it stretches a lot before tearing. It has natural fire-resistant properties, and the material is lightweight and very inexpensive, because of all these reason jute mixed with cotton or some other material is widely used for a lot of different type of upholstery like sofa covering, curtains, cushion covers, chair covers etc.

MAN MADE SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

1. Solar Panels

Solar panel is considered best sustainable invention, as it traps down the best source of natural energy (solar energy). With the help of trapped solar energy a huge amount of energy can be saved .

It can be used at office, houses, school ,hospital, hotel etc. The efficiency of a panel determines the area of a panel given the same rated output - an 8% efficient 230 watt panel will have twice the area of a 16% efficient 230 watt panel. Because a single solar panel can produce only a limited amount of power, most installations contain multiple panels.

   2. Ferro Panels

Ferro cement is basically a product which is made by sandwiching a wire mesh between 2 layers of cement – sand motor. Ferro cement is normally used in roofing, partition. Ferro cement’s thin mortar layer is basically laid over wire, which acts like a reinforcement. It is not that expensive in other words it is relatively cheap, strong and durable. Ferro cement is made up of reinforcement mixture of sand, water cement and also has wire distributed throughout the structure which gives structure more strength and flexibility compared to normal cement.

   3. Metal Tiles

Metal flooring tiles are mostly made up of aluminium, these tiles are extremely durable, heat resistant up to 300F and don't hold fingerprint marks like stainless. The manufacturing process in creating these tiles is much the same as all other aluminium recycling. The metal is ground into small pieces then melted down and checked for impurities. Once the recycled material has been cleared, it's moulded into large frames that are then flattened to the desired thickness. 

   4. Rubber Tiles

Rubber flooring is a good choice for areas that receive a great deal of wear and tear. School gyms, or a child's playroom are all places where this type of flooring tile would be perfect.. Recycled rubber absorbs noise and is slip resistant. It is very quick to install, rubber tiles also have the added advantage of being easy to clean.

   5. Cork Tiles

Corks tiles are made from cork wood. Cork is a very durable material that has a lot of give and holds heat very well. The tiles are waterproof and can be used in wet locations like bathrooms or around a swimming pool. 

   6. Agri fibre

AGRI FIBRE is a fibrous material  generated from agricultural/ bio- based product. It can be used with binders to create bio-composite agri board.

Example includes wheat Salk/chaff, sunflower husk, hemp, biogases(sugarcane),

And other residues that traditionally are send to landfills/incinerators or ploughed back under the field. Generally wood is not included in this definition.

   7. Adobe

Adobe is one of the oldest building materials in use. It is basically just dirt that has been moistened with water, sometimes with  chopped straw  or other fibres  added for  strength and then allowed to dry in the desired shape. The best adobe soil will have been between 15% and 30% clay in it to bind the material together, the rest being mostly sand or larger aggregate.

   8. Hybrid Adobe

Hybrid adobe is a revolution building material used to create low – cost insulated

homes, sculptures .domes, garden walls, and more. Its sustainability makes it appealing  to green builders. Its adaptability makes it more appealing. Hybrid adobe combines recycled paper with earth. sand and a binder to create a sustainable ,in expensive , strong ,fibered material that can be poured , sprayed ,or sculptured to form blocks, logs, panels, walls, and an infinite variety of creative  shapes.

   9. Composite Material

Composite material are made up of two or more complementary substances. It is normally used or applied in a place where they can be removed and can be reused. Wood is a an example of composite material which is used in various places in construction. In old times most common man made composite material were straw and mud combined together to make or form bricks for constructions.

   10. Compressed Earth Blocks

Compressed earth blocks or CEB are basically construction blocks made up with clay, sand and materials like Portland cement. Sand is the most important component in CEB as it increases the strength. Now a days compressed earth blocks are considered as new “green“ which is used in constructing different type of building.

CEB are made up of soil whose ideal composition is:

15% gravel.

50% sand

20% clay

   11. Dimension Stone

Dimension stone is a natural stone or rock which is always selected and made into specific shapes and sizes. The selection criteria for dimension stone depends on colour, texture , surface finish and different patterns  .There are other factors as well which effect the selection criteria like the durability ,maintenance , strength, resistance to decay and appearance.

  12. Fly Ash

Fly ash is basically a fine glass powder generated from the gases of burning coal during the production of electricity. These micro sized parcel elements consist of silica, iron and alumina. One of the benefits of using fly ash in construction is to make it “green”. As fly ash bricks is used in construction . When every single ton of cement will be replaced with fly ash, it is said it would not only eliminate waste from the planet but also reduce the emission of 0.85 tons of  CO2 into the atmosphere. At present day fly ash is actually adopted by all over the world  by leading organisation as it is at forefront amongst the green technologies.

   13. Non Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's)

Volatile organic compound also know as VOC are substance that evaporate from paint allowing it to dry and very toxic to human. Even after paint dried, VOC can release from paints for years and years and effecting the health of the people around it .Solution is to

Use paints that do not contain vocs and instead contains  a non harmful drying agent.

Paints with low VOC are the ones which use water as a carrier instead of petrol based agents which makes it more appropriate for our health.

   14. Oriented Standard Board

Oriented standard board also know as OSB ,water board or exterior board. This board is a high strength , structural board wood panel formed by binding wood strands. Oriented standard board can be created from low valued small diameter tree. By using OSB we will be saving higher value species and older grown trees and this makes OSB an environment  friendly material. 

   

GREEN BUILDING

Green building is also known as green construction or sustainable building. It is referred to both the structure and the using of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource efficient through out a building's life cycle right from its siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation and demolition.

Green building material refers to materials which are used to construct eco friendly, energy saving and healthy to live in buildings. Green or sustainable building material helps building have good air quality, they make environment healthier to live, study, work and comfortable.

‘Sustainable’ ‘recycled’ ‘non-toxic’ ‘locally sourced’ ‘renewable’ and ‘organic are few example of  sustainable or green building material.

WHY GREEN OR SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIAL IS IMPORTANT?

In today’s life when there is so much usage of energy, natural resources. We are at a stage where it is getting depleted and have to think about our future generation. If not, then our future generation may not have a healthy and eco friendly life. In order to make our life and future generations lives healthy, energy saving and eco friendly  green or sustainable building is a perfect solution as it is truly effective. For the construction of the green building, green or sustainable materials are used such as recycled, non toxic, renewable, locally sourced and organic material.

HOW CAN WE MAKE A BUILDING GREEN OR SUSTAINABLE?

Following materials can be used to make a building green or sustainable:

Energy efficiency:

• Develop strategies to provide natural lighting from sunlight.

• Use a proper sized and energy efficient heat cooling system.

• Consider alternative energy sources such as solar energy.

Water Efficiency:

• Harvesting rain water.

• Dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing.

• Minimize waste water by using ultra low-flush toilets.

• Use water conservation fixtures in bathroom and kitchen.

Air quality efficiency:

• By using low or non-toxic construction material.

• Use materials that require only simple, non-toxic methods of cleaning.

Resource efficiency:

• Using materials which are recyclable and renewable.
• Using locally available materials.
• Materials which are organic.

WHY GREEN BUILDING MATERIAL?

Buildings are responsible for all greenhouse gas emissions,  electricity use, tons of solid waste stream, and potable water consumption. The green building movement is an attempt to minimize and eliminate negative impacts and maximize environmental, economic and community in other words human benefits.

Benefits of green buildings:

Environmental Benefits:

• Protect existing natural spaces:

Green buildings tend not to be constructed on environmentally sensitive lands. If they are constructed on or near green spaces, measures are taken that the building doesn’t affect or causes any type of impact on the environment.

• Enhance existing ecology:

Green buildings often are constructed on previously developed property, with measures taken to restore plant life to building sites by decreasing the site area used for parking, or through the use of green roofs, which provide a more ecologically friendly alternative to conventional roofing systems, by conserving water, by reducing electricity consumption and by a lot of other things which makes building and its surrounding a “green” place.

• Reduce water use:

Water is a very important part for a green building. In green building usage of water is reduced and the used water can be recycled for toilets and for irrigation purpose by waste water treatment. By reducing water use, green buildings minimize the detrimental effects of water use and its effects on local ecologies, such as aquatic life.

• Reduce material use and use low-impact materials:

All materials carry environmental effects in them, in that there are environmental and ecological consequences, as a result of their production and use through their life cycle. Green building is about using the materials which has lower harmful effect to environment. Green buildings also typically utilize “green” material which can be recycled and do not affect the environment around.

• Reduce emissions to air:

Green buildings effectively reduce air pollution through reduced energy use, the use of refrigerants, the use of materials with low off-gassing. The reduction in use of fossil fuels at the building site result in lower air pollution contributions at the site, while reduction in electricity use results in lower air pollution associated with power plants. 

Economic Benefits:

• Reduced Operating Costs:

Savings in energy costs of 20-50% are common through total planning, site orientation, energy-saving technologies, on-site renewable energy-producing technologies, light-reflective materials, natural daylight and ventilation, and downsized HVAC and other equipment.

• Improved Employee Productivity and Satisfaction:

Improved employee productivity and satisfaction can be achieved by better occupant comfort, improved indoor air quality, natural light, and better acoustics. A variety of studies show a positive relationship between green building elements and increased worker productivity. Since a majority of the annual employee and workplace costs is for salaries, increasing worker productivity by a very small percentage or reducing absenteeism by a day or two per year, or causing people to work a few additional minutes per day, the economic productivity benefits will make the economic benefits associated with energy savings or reduced water use.

PASSIVE SOLAR DESIGN

Passive solar design refers to using the solar energy to heat the interior spaces of a building without relying on mechanical devices that require additional energy.  Passive solar system rely on the natural heat transfer processes of conduction, convection and radiation for the collection, storage, distribution and control of solar energy. Here, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic design because, unlike active solar heating systems, it doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.

Conduction is the transfer of heat between substances that are in direct contact with each other. The better the conductor the more rapidly the heat will transfer. Good conductor are copper, iron, steel etc. Poor conductors are wood, paper, air etc.

Convection is the primary method by which heat moves through the gases and liquid in up and down movement with the heat transfer. As the gas is heated it warms, expands, rises because it is less dense. When the gas or liquid cools it becomes denser and falls. As the gas or liquids warmer and rise or cools and falls it creates a convection current

Radiation are the electromagnetic waves that travel through the empty space. The sun warms the earth through radiation of electromagnetic waves.

Based on the relationship with sun, the interior space and the heat collection system there are three types of passive solar heating.

1)Direct gain

2)Indirect gain

3)Isolated gain

1) Direct gain

        Direct Gain System is a type of passive solar heating system in which south-facing windows provide heat gain during the daytime and high-mass thermal-storage materials absorb and store that heat. At night, the stored heat radiates back out, warming the space. This is the simplest type of passive solar heating system, but careful design is required to prevent overheating.

         Direct gain attempts to control the amount of direct solar radiation reaching the living space. This direct solar gain is a critical part of passive solar house designation as it imparts to a direct gain. The cost effectiveness of these configurations are currently being investigated in great detail and are demonstrating promising results.

2) Indirect gain

       Indirect gain systems control heat gain at the exterior skin of a building. It is of three types:-

i. Trombe wall

ii.Sun space

iii.Roof pond

i.Trombe Wall

       A Trombe wall is a system which consists of a dark coloured wall of high thermal mass facing the sun, with glazing spaced in front to leave a small air space. The glazing traps solar radiation like a small greenhouse. The solar radiation first strikes the trombe wall located between the sun and the living space. The sun absorbed solar energy moves through the wall by conduction and then to the space by radiation and convection.

ii.Sun space

            A ‘Sun space’ is usually a south-facing glazed area located outside of the main fabric envelope of the building. The space naturally heats and cools allowing daytime temperatures to raise higher and night time temperatures to fall further than the ‘comfort zone’ temperatures of the adjoining living space. This sun space having a floor of a high thermal mass by a thermal storage wall from which the heat is drawn as needed. For cooling the sun space can be vented to the exterior.

   iii.Roof Pond

         This is another form of indirect gain system that serves as a liquid mass for absorbing and storing solar energy and insulation panel is moved over the roof pond at night along the stored heat to radiate downward into the space. At night, the insulation is removed and the water exposed, losing significant amount of heat by radiation to the night sky. Early in the morning, the insulation panels are replaced to protect the water from the heat of the day and solar radiation. The water remains relatively cool throughout the day, cooling the ceiling of the space below. A cool ceiling is particularly effective in rooms where heat is being generated as warm air always rises to the top, to lose its heat almost immediately to the ceiling. The water is typically contained in black bags or dark coloured containers to maximize radiant emissions and minimize evaporation.

3) Isolated gain

      Isolated gain involves utilizing solar energy to passively move heat from or to the living space using a fluid, such as water or air by natural convection or forced convection. Heat gain can occur through a sun space, solarium or solar closet. These areas may also be employed usefully as a greenhouse or drying cabinet. An equator-side sun room may have its exterior windows higher than the windows between the sun room and the interior living space, to allow the low winter sun to penetrate to the cold side of adjacent rooms. Glass placement and overhangs prevent solar gain during the summer. Earth cooling tubes or other passive cooling techniques can keep a solarium cool in the summer.

BLACK

Black one of the darkest and dominant of the colour, one of the best beautiful colour I feel. It has always stayed as my favourite colour. I love this colour. Most of the times I prefer to wear BLACK.

Black is the darkest colour owing to the absence of or complete absorption of light. It is a dominant colour. The opposite of white. It absorbs all lights in the colour spectrum hence, giving it the darkest appearance. It is associated with elegance. To obtain the shade of a colour black is mixed to its original colour. It absorbs a lot of heat & light. Hence, many people don’t prefer wearing black during hot summer days.

As expressed & said by Rani Mukherjee in the bollywood movie BLACK “it is the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye.”

Black is used in various places according to their situations. It is often associated with death, evil, witches and magic. In Europe & North America it is commonly associated with mourning, the end, secrets, magic, power, evil, violence and elegance. During the 20^th century, black was the emblematic colour of the punk culture. It is the common colour for limousine. The black belt in martial arts symbolizes experience.

Black is a powerful colour. Hence judges & magistrates of many countries wear black robes. It is the colour of achievement, the colour of knowledge.

POSITIVE & NEGATIVE TRAITS OF BLACK

+ve: Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance.

-ve:  Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.

BLACK IN FLAGS

In spite of considering black the colour of mourn, evil etc. in the past & present its been used in various flags too. The flags which have black colour on them are:-

• Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor.

•  Flag of Belgium.

• Flag of the Arab Revolt against the Ottomen Empire.

• Flag of Germany.

• Flag of Estonia.

• Flag of Egypt.

•  Flag of South Africa.

BLACK IN SPORTS

Black is also used in different sports variously. It is used in uniforms, flags etc.

• The National Rugby Union team of New Zealand is called the “All Blacks” referring to their black outfit. The colour is even shared by other New Zealand National Teams such as the “Black Caps” (Cricket) & the “Kiwis” (Rugby League).
• Football referees traditionally wear black uniforms.
• In auto racing, black flag signals the driver to go into the pits.

BLACK IN FASHION

• Black is a colour which matches with everything & anything.
•  It is used in fashion largely because of its slimming advantage.
• It gives elegance to an outfit.

BLACK IN INTERIOR

Black is used variously in Interiors. We used it largely, evenly or less according to the outcome and the pleasant effect we need for the interior space. Black helps to make the space look smaller. Applying black on one of the walls of a large space will make the space look smaller or comparatively less big. Hence a large space can be made to appear small or large by the use of colour & black helps to make large spaces to look smaller.

BLACK IN A RETAIL STORE

The black interior in the retail store complements the type of merchandise sold out in the store. It gives a cosy feeling. The black ceiling brings down the height of the store and covers the AC Ducts shown through them.

BLACK IN RESIDENCE

   

The black in this space is used in carpet, window and door frame, slightly in furniture, hand rail, flooring, ceiling. It hence gives an eye liner look for the interior space.

The combination of white with black always gives an elegant look. Black can make the larger side of the room look smaller and even white has the vice versa quality too.

                                                                            

The black colour in the toilet area gives a cosy feel for relaxation.

Going through all these views and uses of the colour black, it has dignity and prestigious hold as well as a mourned standard too. According to me its still my favourite colour and will always be my favourite colour. As Rani Mukherjee expresses in the movie “BLACK”, I would say “It is the colour of Achievement, the colour of Knowledge, the colour of the graduation robe”.