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Environmental Profile on Building Material Passports for Hot Climates

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Environmental Profile on Building Material Passports for Hot Climates sustainability Article Environmental Profile on Building Material Passports for Hot Climates Amjad Almusaed 1,* , Asaad Almssad 2 , Raad Z. Homod 3 and Ibrahim Yitmen 1 1 Department of Construction Engineering and Lighting Science, Jönköping University, 551 11 Jönköping, Sweden; [email protected] 2 Head of Building Technology, Karlstad University Sweden, 651 88 Karlstad, Sweden; [email protected] 3 Department of Oil and Gas Engineering, Basrah University for Oil and Gas, Garmat Ali Campus, Basrah 61004, Iraq; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +46-70-045-1114 Received: 20 March 2020; Accepted: 27 April 2020; Published: 4 May 2020 Abstract: Vernacular building materials and models represent the construction methods and building materials used in a healthy manner. Local building materials such as gravel, sand, stone, and clay are used in their natural state or with minor processing and cleaning to mainly satisfy local household needs (production of concrete, mortar, ballast, silicate, and clay bricks and other products). In hot climates, the concept of natural building materials was used in a form that can currently be applied in different kinds of buildings. This concept depends on the proper consideration of the climate characteristics of the construction area. A material passport is a qualitative and quantitative documentation of the material composition of a building, displaying materials embedded in buildings as well as showing their recycling potential and environmental impact. This study will consider two usages of building materials. The first is the traditional use of building materials and their importance in the application of vernacular building strategies as an essential global bioclimatic method in sustainable architecture. The second is the affordable use of new building materials for their availability and utilization by a large part of society in a way to add more detail to research. The article aims to create an objective reading and analysis regarding specific building materials in order to generate a competent solution of materials that is suitable for building requirements in hot climates. This study evaluates the most suitable Building Material Passports needed in hot climates, where the environmental profile must be analyzed to confirm the use of natural materials. Keywords: building materials; vernacular building; environmental design; ecological building materials 1. Introduction The quality of today’s architectural elements is influenced by the choice of building material from which the structures are made and the premises are finished. Buildings have a huge impact on the environment, and building materials generate environmental effects at their various life stages: during the manufacture of the materials, the construction phase, use and maintenance of the building, and the disposal or demolition phase. These environmental effects can take many different shapes [1]. The rapid development of our civilization has had a negative effect on our environment. The idea of sustainable development was proposed to help new generations [2]. All building materials are either environmentally friendly or emit some harmful substances. Environmental requirements, first of all, correspond to natural materials, such as stone and wood, used by humans since ancient times. These materials are safe for human health while creating a favorable indoor microclimate. Environmental building materials are raw and processed nature-based materials used in the construction of the built environment. These materials are extracted from the biological Sustainability 2020, 12, 3720; doi:10.3390/su12093720 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 21 Environmental requirements, first of all, correspond to natural materials, such as stone and wood, used by humans since ancient times. These materials are safe for human health while creating a favorable indoor microclimate. Environmental building materials are raw and processed nature- Sustainability 2020, 12, 3720 2 of 20 based materials used in the construction of the built environment. These materials are extracted from the biological cycle to serve technical purposes, and their production and processing result in low cycleenvironmental to serve technical impacts purposes, in terms and of theirmeasures production such andas processingembodied resultenergy in and low environmentalcarbon, water impactsconsumption, in terms and of the measures use of suchharmful as embodied chemicals energy [3]. In and warm carbon, climates, water temperatures consumption, are and more the useextreme, of harmful reaching chemicals records [ 3of]. Inapproximately warm climates, 45 °C temperatures during the aresummer more extreme,months of reaching July and records August. of approximatelyConsequently, 45many◦C duringbuilding the materi summeral choices months ofwill July be andaffected August. directly Consequently, by the propriety many building of the materialmaterial choices[4]. New will constructions be affected and directly restorations by the propriety are associated of the with material the [use4]. Newof building constructions materials and of restorationsvarious natures are [5] associated that are more with theor less use favorable of building for materialshumans and of variousalso have natures different [5] impacts that are on more the orenvironment. less favorable Owing for humansto the increasing and also population, have different the increase impacts in on usage the environment. of building material Owing has to theled increasingto an increase population, in demand the for increase new materials. in usage Due of building to the shortage material of has materials, led to an the increase conversion in demand of wastes for newfrom materials. industries Due as building to the shortage materials of has materials, become the a significant conversion challenge. of wastes The from recycling industries of such as building wastes materialsas construction has become materials a significant appears to challenge. be a practical The solution recycling for of the such effects wastes of pollution as construction and economical materials appearsdesign of to buildings be a practical [6]. Building solution materials for the eff mustects of be pollution selected in and acco economicalrdance with design the quality of buildings required [6]. Buildingfor a safe materials building, must which be is selected periodically in accordance updated with with the new quality materials required that for have a safe received building, a certificate which is periodicallyof environmental updated quality. with What new materialsis meant thatby this have term received is actually a certificate an environmental of environmental and hygienic quality. Whatcharacteristic is meant of by the this material. term is The actually basis an of environmentalsuch an assessment and hygienic is the presence characteristic or absence of the of material.harmful Theeffects basis of the of such material an assessment on a person is thein the presence building or in absence which of this harmful material eff ectsis used of the [7]. material To make on a abuilding person inmore the buildingcomfortable, in which it is thisnecessary material to ischoose used [7the]. To right make material, a building given more its comfortable, heat-shielding it is properties necessary tospecifically choose the for right building material, envelopes. given itsFigure heat-shielding 1 shows building properties forms, specifically structures for, and building materials envelopes. for cold Figureand hot1 showsclimates. building It is therefore forms, structures, crucial, when and materialsdesigning, for to coldselect and efficient hot climates. materials It isnot therefore only for crucial,economics when and designing, esthetics to but select also effi cientfrom materialsan environmental not only for point economics of view. and This esthetics requires but also an fromenvironmental an environmental assessment point and of classification view. This requires of building an environmental materials in accordance assessment with and environmental classification ofrequirements. building materials In this case, in accordance when deciding with environmentalon the use of the requirements. material, it is necessary In this case, to be when able decidingto assess onits direct the use and of theindirect material, impacts it is on necessary the environment to be able and to assesshumans its from direct an and environmental indirect impacts perspective. on the environmentA wide range and of building humans materials from an environmentalcurrently allows perspective. engineers to A choose wide range and give of building preference materials to the currentlyhighest quality allows in engineers environmental to choose terms. and Using give the preference concept of to a the material highest passport quality optimizes in environmental building terms.designs Using regarding the concept resource of a materialuse and passportthe documentatio optimizesn building of materials designs [8]. regarding It contains resource a set useof data and thedescribing documentation the defined of materials characteristics [8]. It contains of material a sets ofin data products, describing which the allows defined for characteristics their efficient of materialsrecovery, inrecycling, products, and which re-use. allows for their efficient recovery, recycling, and re-use. Figure 1. Building form, structure, and materials between coldcold andand hothot climates.climates.
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