Concrete offers significant sustainability benefits over other building materials thanks to its innate properties, strength, durability and resilience, its minimal land use responsible stewardship of land, its local availability, its versatility that requires no additional finishes and in terms of minimising CO2 its recyclability, reusability, ability to recarbonate lower the energy needs of buildings.
Whilst timber has a role as a building material a number of misconceptions have arisen as to its sustainability values.
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Comparisons
Strength, durability
resilience & safety
Society expects the built environment – buildings, bridges and other infrastructure – to be enduring and safe – safety is the first priority.
Learn moreCarbon emissions & circularity
To know if a material is really ecological, it is important to look at the whole life of the product from sourcing/extraction of raw materials, including the different processes and treatments transportation, in use maintenance and end of life.
Learn moreBiodiversity
& Land use
Trees are the ‘lungs of the planet’. They absorb atmospheric CO2 and play a critical role in the fight against climate change. Trees, and the biodiversity that they support, are under threat from deforestation.
Learn moreNatural performance
& environmental factors
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are chemicals found in many common building materials that can escape into the air and cause illness and allergic reactions.
Learn moreLocal
availability
Long supply chains inevitably bring emissions and energy use that are often not accounted for in assessing the credentials of a material.
Learn moreVersatility
& design
Structural versatility provides the engineer, often working with the architect, enormous scope to meet the application requirements in an optimal way.
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