Understanding Green Building Materials

A companion to Understanding Green Building Guidelines, this primer explains green building products—what they are and how to choose them. From eco-friendly sheetrock to sustainable paint finishes, the green building movement is gaining momentum. But with new products, manufacturers, and standards being introduced routinely, how are architects or designers to know what's best for their projects? This book summarizes what is available and the considerations for selecting sustainable materials.

GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS THE ULTIMATE USER’S MANUAL TO GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS To properly select and specify green building materials, successful architects need authoritative, real-world advice on how to select and use nontoxic, recycled, and recyclable products, and how to integrate these products into the design process in order to capitalize on the many practical and economic advantages of “going green.” Green Building Materials, Third Edition is the most reliable, up-to-date resource to meet today’s green building challenges—from reducing waste and improving energy efficiency to promoting proper code compliance and safeguarding against liability claims. Written by two nationally known experts on green building methods and materials, Green Building Materials, Third Edition offers in-depth, practical information on the product selection, product specification, and construction process. This new Third Edition is an excellent hands-on guide to today’s newest range of green building materials: what they are, where to find them, how to use them effectively, and how to address LEED requirements. Organized by CSI MasterFormat® category for fast access to specific information, it features: A new chapter on eco-labels, green standards, and product certification A new appendix providing reference information for sustainability standards and standards development organizations New sample specifications, including green power requirements, vegetated green roof systems, rainwater harvesting, and water reuse systems Revised and updated review of trends affecting the future of green building materials Updated approach and reference information for the product selection process Green Building Materials, Third Edition is an essential tool for designing environmentally friendly buildings—ones made from materials that preserve the Earth’s natural legacy for future generations.

This book uses theories, hypotheses, policies, practical insights and case studies to introduce and elucidate green building materials for sustainable construction. Cement is the most widely used building material in construction; however, it is not sustainable, being responsible for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions and consuming huge quantities of energy. In order to limit the ecological damage, sustainable building materials are needed. Ecosystems are a source of important lessons and models for transitioning the built environment onto a sustainable path that opens options for sustainable building material in construction. The book provides a guide for readers seeking knowledge on sustainable building materials with the potential to lower environmental impact by reducing CO2 emission throughout the building’s lifecycle. The book is motivated by recent rapid advances in sustainable building materials production, including green building materials made of industrial by-products and recycled wastes, earth materials, plant-based materials, microbial-based materials or supplementary cementitious materials, to reduce the environmental impacts of traditional building materials. Discussing the development and applications of various sustainable building materials, including related case studies, and addressing the environmental issue with a holistic and systematic approach that creates an ecology of construction for sustainability in infrastructures, it offers promising solutions to achieve renewable and sustainable building materials for the future.

Evaluating building materials for environmental sustainability is a complex prospect. How do governmental agencies and the design industry actually measure sustainable initiatives and environmental impacts? This book breaks down the technical vocabulary and principles that define environmentally sustainable choices across interior and exterior architectural products to help the reader understand: Material ingredient selection Energy and water use Emissions, including greenhouse gases Human health and toxicity Social accountability assessment This guide explains the structure of green certifications, standards and ecolabels, life cycle assessment, environmental regulations, and more. It presents a historic timeline for context and a snapshot of current trends and future objectives. It is a comprehensive reference for interior designers, architects, building owners, contractors, and students enrolled in interior design and architecture.

Handbook of Green Building Design and Construction: LEED, BREEAM, and Green Globes, Second Edition directly addresses the needs of building professionals interested in the evolving principles, strategies, and concepts of green/sustainable design. Written in an easy to understand style, the book is updated to reflect new standards to LEED. In addition, readers will find sections that cover the new standards to BREEAM that involve new construction Infrastructure, data centers, warehouses, and existing buildings. Provides vital information and penetrating insights into three of the top Green Building Codes and Standards applied Internationally Includes the latest updates for complying with LEED v4 Practices and BREEAM Presents case studies that draws on over 35 years of personal experience from across the world

Green building is the fastest-growing trend to hit since the Internet, bringing with it an enormous range of new products, systems and technologies. Green Building A to Z is an informative, technically accurate and highly visual guide to green building, for both decision-makers and interested citizens. It begins with an introduction to the importance of green buildings and a brief history of the green building movement, outlines the benefits and costs of green buildings, and shows how you can influence the spread of green buildings. The book touches on key issues, such as enhancing water conservation, reducing energy use and creating a conservation economy. Green Building A to Z examines all aspects of green buildings from: Architecture 2030 to Locally sourced materials to Natural ventilation to Solar energy to Zero-net energy buildings More than just a reference, this book emphasizes the importance of green buildings and green developments for a sustainable future. It will be an invaluable resource for businesspeople, homeowners, product manufacturers, developers, building industry professionals and government officials.

Summarizes the main issues and strategies of the forceful and fast-paced green building movement. Many professions are increasingly producing tools to assist clients in breaking down and understanding the different elements that reside under the umbrella of the sustainability movement. For the design and construction professions, this unpacking often takes the form of green building guidelines and rating systems. This book aims to look at a selection of both national and local green building rating systems and guidelines, ranging from commercial to residential. While the goal is to provide students and young professionals with a solid overview of each product, enabling them to understand the differences and select the most appropriate system for their chosen projects, the book provides valuable overviews and comparisons for anyone interested in better buildings: designers, homeowners, realtors, contractors, facility managers, site designers, and more.

Selected, peer reviewed papers from the 2nd International Conference on Green Buildings Technologies and Materials (GBTM 2012), December 27-28, Wuhan, China