Choosing building materials wisely is critical for companies looking to build net-zero carbon offices, according to researchers at Canada’s Ryerson University.
In 2020, the extraction, transport, and manufacturing of building sector materials accounted for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the researchers say. “If buildings are to make meaningful contributions to keeping global temperature rise to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, limiting emissions from building materials is crucial,” they say.
In recent years, designers and contractors have made great strides in energy efficiency, on-site heating and cooling, waste reduction, and recycling. Building materials present a newer opportunity for office projects to reduce their carbon footprint.
Construction of Walmart’s new home office in Bentonville, Ark., expected to be completed by 2025, offers an example of what can be accomplished using bio-based building materials. The retail giant’s corporate campus is the largest underway in the U.S. It will use mass timber including large engineered structural wooden panels.
In order to gain the most environmental benefit, materials must be sourced from sustainable supply chains. Building office towers with timber can be counterproductive if large amounts of carbon dioxide are emitted during logging, transport, and manufacture of wood products.
Related Stories
| May 17, 2012
New standard for Structural Insulated Panels under development
ASTM International and NTA, Inc. are developing a new standard for Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) that would create a path for U.S. manufacturers to meet the requirements of the Canadian building code.
| May 17, 2012
Webinar: ‘What Energy Codes and Standards Are Adopted Where and by Whom’
A June 12 webinar by the Construction Specifications Institute will outline what energy codes and standards have been adopted in each of the states for commercial buildings, and what is anticipated to be adopted in the future.
| May 17, 2012
California Governor orders new green standards on state buildings
California Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order recently that calls for all new or renovated state buildings of more than 10,000 sf to achieve LEED Silver or higher and incorporate clean, onsite power generation.
| May 17, 2012
New Zealand stadium roof collapse blamed on snow, construction defects
Heavy snowfall, construction defects, and design problems contributed to the collapse of the Stadium Southland roof in New Zealand in September 2010, a report has found.
| May 17, 2012
OSHA launches fall prevention campaign
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently launched an educational campaign to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry.
| May 15, 2012
Suffolk selected for Rosenwald Elementary modernization project
The 314-student station elementary school will undergo extensive modernization.
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
