Green is all the rage. Consumers are getting more conscious about how their choices impact the environment – and are putting brands on the spotlight to explain what goes into the products they have on market. From shopping items, means of transport, to waste disposal, they are keen on how it will affect Mother Nature. This extends right through to the construction industry, with home and business owners requiring that contractors and architects give them more sustainable options to get their projects done.
Here are six ways they are doing this in 2024:
1. Turning to Composites
Composites blend together two or more constituent materials – and they can have significantly different physical or chemical properties. They retain the characteristics of their individual components while still offering enhanced overall performance from their combined benefits.
Tale Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) for instance, also known as bendable concrete. It combines mortar with polymer fibres to achieve a high tensile strain capacity, making it more durable and crack-resistant than traditional concrete. ECC’s flexibility and resistance to carbon dioxide infusion reduces maintenance costs and carbon emissions .
Timber Ireland too provides composites, designed for various applications such as decking, cladding, and fencing. They blend the durability of synthetic materials with the aesthetic appeal of natural wood. You have the likes of the PURA Composite Decking made using 100% FSC certified timber and recycled plastic, as well as Composite Cladding that includes Puratech boards that are constructed with a 60:40 ratio of recycled dense wood fibre and high-grade recycled plastics (HDPE). This results in sustainable, low-maintenance alternatives to traditional timber, suitable for homes and businesses alike.
2. Building Sustainably with Green Materials
The focus here is materials that are either by their nature good for the environment, or help reduce the strain caused by conventional materials in the construction industry. These include:
- Bamboo: It grows fast, making it a top pick for sustainable wood flooring or as a structural element.
- Recycled Steel: It reduces the demand on iron ore, with the bonus of needing less energy to produce.
- Low-Emission Paints: They help maintain indoor air quality by reducing how much volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced.
- Sustainably sourced timber: These are softwoods and hardwoods harvested from forests managed under strict guidelines – where there is no harm to the environment, wildlife, or the communities that rely on them. Timber Ireland has an extensive range that includes aesthetically appealing options like Southern Yellow Pine, Quebec Yellow Pine, and Western Red Cedar, widely used for cladding and decking due to its durability.
- Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs): They’re like building blocks filled with concrete. Great for energy efficiency because they keep temperatures steady indoors.
- Reclaimed Wood: Old but gold. It brings character and reduces the need for new timber.
3. Biophilic Architecture: Designing with Nature In Mind
The idea is pretty simple: use natural light, air, plants, and materials to make spaces that house people while also boosting their mood, health, and productivity. For instance, you can have large windows that let in lots of sunlight, walls covered in greenery that makes them ‘come alive’, as well as constructing your decking and other structures with materials like sustainably sourced wood. It’s like bringing a slice of the outdoors into your home. These buildings end up being more energy-smart, cutting down on artificial lighting and air conditioning.
4. Cellulose insulation: Giving Old Newsprint A New Purpose
It’s made from recycled newspaper using a low-tech process – yet ends up with more thermal resistance compared to traditional fibreglass. It scores a higher R-value for better performance in keeping your indoor temperatures stable – translating to lower bills at the end of the month, and a smaller carbon footprint overall.
The material is treated with safe, non-toxic fire retardants like boric acid and ammonium sulphate – making it less flammable. There’s also the welcome benefit of being toxic to insects and other pests, thanks to its boron-based flame retardants .
5. Prefabrication and modular construction
Prefab construction is all about making parts of buildings in a factory setting, away from the actual construction site. This approach cuts down on mess and the pollution from heavy machinery at the building site. Modular construction steps it up by putting these prefab parts together into bigger pieces—think of them as big Lego blocks. These blocks are then shipped to where the building is going up and slotted into place. It’s a neat way to build, with everything made in advance and just needing to be fitted together on-site.
This approach reduces the construction time significantly. Because much of the work happens indoors, bad weather doesn’t cause delays. This efficiency saves on energy and materials. There’s also less waste since materials can be used more precisely and excess can be recycled more easily than on a traditional construction site. Greener materials can also be incorporated right on the factory floor, making buildings more sustainable from the get-go.
6. The Mass Timber Way
Mass timber is made from multiple layers of wood bonded together, form of plywood – as is the case with products like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) – Super Plywood and Glue-Laminated Timber (GLT) Traditional Plywood. The end result is a strong, solid, and sustainable alternative to traditional concrete and steel. Buildings made with this can be assembled faster and with less waste as well, leading to more savings and fewer emissions.
A study highlighted that hybrid mass timber buildings could cut down global warming by 26.5% when you compare them to ones made of concrete. Plus, since wood captures carbon from the air as it grows out in the forest, building with it means we’re actually storing away carbon that could have ended up being released into the atmosphere. Mass timber structures also meet fire safety standards – performing just as well, and sometimes better, than steel. That’s due to their ability to char on the outside while remaining intact on the inside.
Find The Right Material For You
So what do you have planned for your project? At Timber Ireland there is a wide range of solutions to pick from for both commercial and residential needs. For more information, reach out to us at +353 1 8427669 or via email at sales@timberireland.ie.
