IHS BRE Press Building With Confidence Using Renewable Materials IP13/13

Get an overview of the renewable building materials industry: its drivers and barriers for these materials, the range of applications and aspects to consider in specifying these materials. Author: Kiruthiga Balson Publish Date: 10/7/2013 ISBN: 978-1-84806-345-7 Abstract Renewable building materials industry by outlining the drivers and barriers for these materials, listing the range of applications and highlighting aspects to consider in specifying these materials. It will be of interest to both construction professionals and the general public interested in renewable construction materials. For the purpose of this publication, renewable materials are defined as construction products derived from agricultural crops grown for non-food uses, and other plant and animal sources. While earth and timber can also be classed as renewable materials, they are not covered here. Please refer to the BRE publications series An introduction to low-impact building materials: Hemplime (IP 14/11), Straw bale (IP 15/11) and Natural fibre insulation (IP 18/11)[1], for detailed information about individual renewable construction materials. The use of renewable materials is outlined for individual building elements – external walls, insulation, internal finishes (paints and floor coverings) and roofing. Product information sheets have been included to summarise the physical properties, advantages and limitations of the materials used. The Information Paper concludes with a series of short case studies demonstrating the use of some of these renewable construction materials and the lessons learned during construction and operation.