Measuring Sustainability of Building Materials – A Call for Action (Published in Urban Infra World; Aug-Nov 2011)
Introduction Growing population compounded with increasing affluence and affordability is exerting an unprecedented pressure on natural resources in India. The building industry is at the forefront of consumption of these resources. The construction industry has been growing at a CAGR of 13.3% [i] and this translates to a similar growth rate in consumption of building materials like cement, steel, bricks, stone, etc. There is an urgent need of understanding the materials manufacturing industry and introducing sweeping reforms in the manner in which they are extracted, manufactured, used, recycled and disposed off. This article is essentially an introductory primer on the concept of “green materials” and the basis on which the “greenness” or sustainability of a building material could be measured. Life cycle energy of materials The concept of life cycle energy costs of building materials is something that is becoming a subject of interest for many scientists across the wo...