Wood is still a popular building material, but new innovations are bringing alternatives to the construction market. These alternative materials offer a wide range of benefits, including environmental sustainability and cost effectiveness.
For instance, insulating concrete forms use recycled plastic and other materials for a more energy-efficient build. Another alternative is Ferrock, a carbon-negative concrete.
Recycled Plastic
As an alternative to traditional building materials, recycled plastic is a sustainable choice. It can be molded into shingles, added to concrete, or used as wood-like lumber. It is also extremely durable and fire-resistant.
Despite popular belief, plastic can be a sustainable source for construction projects. Recycling it reduces the need to harvest and mine new materials. It also cuts down on environmental pollution and energy consumption in production.
One innovative method involves combining recycled plastic with fly ash to produce an environmentally friendly form of concrete. The process is called ashcrete. It is more cost-effective than regular concrete and has a higher strength rating.
Another green alternative to traditional building materials is adobe bricks, which are composed of sand, clay, and silt. The clay is often mixed with straw or dung as an organic binding agent. This type of adobe is very eco-friendly and offers insulation as well.
Insulated Concrete Forms
Concrete is a staple construction material, but it’s not the only option. Alternatives like ferrock, ashcrete, timber create, and hempcrete require less cement, reduce carbon emissions, and recycle waste materials.
Insulated concrete forms (ICFs) use styrofoam blocks as an integrated form to pour concrete walls instead of traditional wood planks or plywood. The ICF blocks come in interlocking sections, and once contractors set them up, they can immediately pour concrete. Then, finishes like drywall and siding are attached to fastener strips embedded in the insulated concrete.
ICF walls are strong, energy efficient, and resistant to flooding and hurricanes. They also keep interior temperatures stable and save on heating and cooling costs. This makes them ideal for a wide range of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. However, ICF construction requires specialized labor, so it can be more costly than other methods. Using construction project management software developed for subcontractors can help you manage your specialty contractors and make the most of this green building method.
Ferrock
Using alternative materials in construction can help lower energy costs and reduce environmental impact. Many of these materials better insulate structures, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. In addition, some of these materials can be recycled after their useful life in new buildings.
For example, rammed earth is made from local materials like soil and straw bales, which can be gathered on site or near the building. This helps reduce the amount of energy needed to transport and process the materials. Additionally, rammed earth is much stronger than concrete, which can help reduce the amount of structural steel needed.
Another alternative to concrete is Ferrock, which uses waste steel dust and silica that would otherwise be discarded. This material requires less energy to make compared to concrete, and it actually absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits. However, because it utilizes waste materials, it may not be as cost-effective for larger projects.
Rammed Earth
Rammed earth, also known as pise de terre or terre pisé, is an ancient construction technique that has been revived in recent years as a sustainable building method. It is used around the world to construct structures in a variety of climatic conditions and focuses on using locally-available materials to build edifices.
It involves compacting a damp mixture of subsoil with suitable proportions of gravel, sand, silt and clay into a formwork or mold. The damp mixture is tamped down to reduce air pockets and to make the wall stronger. Cement is often added to the earth mixture, but replacing this with ground granulated blast furnace slag could have sustainability benefits.
The walls made of rammed earth have good insulating properties, which can lower heating and cooling costs. They can also be built to a high standard of strength and durability. Other benefits include temperature and noise control, fire proofing and pest deterrence, as well as the beauty of building with a natural material.
Foam Board
Foam board is a common display and print material that offers an easy-to-print surface with a light weight. It is often used by professional photographers or exhibitors to mount pictures on walls. Its paper exterior can also make a vibrant backdrop for presentations, art projects and other creative ideas.
The foam core is made of polystyrene, which makes it easy to cut and mold into any shape for a particular project. This makes it an ideal choice for making scale models and stand displays.
Other modern alternative construction materials include straw bales and cob, which are a mix of subsoil, water, fibrous organic material (typically longer straw) and lime. These materials are insulating and can be used to build homes that are more environmentally friendly than those built with traditional wood framing.
Rubber Products
Rubber is a versatile and highly resilient material. It can be produced naturally from the latex of many types of plants or synthetically with a variety of chemical processes. It has a broad range of applications in industry, and it is often combined with other materials to provide unique characteristics such as hermetic sealing.
Among the most common rubber products are pool rafts, inner tubes and water shoes. It also provides a cushion underfoot for playgrounds and sports equipment. Rubber’s relative gas impermeability is also valuable in some industrial applications, such as air and fuel hoses.
In modern homes, rubber products can be found in flooring, insulation and roofing. Its insulating properties make it an ideal alternative to wood. It is also used to create weather stripping and to seal door frames and windows. It is also used to make durable, lightweight flooring. Rubber is also used to manufacture items for pets, including unbreakable food and water bowls, chew toys and beds.