Sustainability Assessment to Overcome Barriers to Renewable Construction Materials

NetComposites and BRE  lead a  LINK collaborative research project funded through the renewable materials programme to focus on assessing the environmental credentials of naturally derived construction materials. The work addressed the problem faced by the construction industry in that there is limited understanding of the environmental performance of these relatively new materials making like for like comparisons difficult.

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The project focused on environmental issues such as:

• Raw material supply – including crop production and land-use
• Energy requirements for primary and secondary processing
• Durability of these naturally derived materials compared to conventional alternatives
• End of life issues – including, recyclability, composting, recovery and re-use.

The tool developed through the project will enable companies throughout the sector to make well-informed decisions about the likely benefits of crop-based materials without the cost and time requirements of conducting detailed life-cycle impact studies. It will also allow the industry to deal with clients on a more informed basis, further stimulating the growth of materials derived from crops.