1st International scientific conference in Cihan university

1. The Role of
Environmental Impact in
Building Material’s Selection
Hafedh Abed Yahyaa*, and Muna Hanim Abdul Samadb
a&b School of Housing, Building and Planning,
University of Science Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

2. Titles Content
1. Introduction
2. Impact of Building Materials on Human Health
3. Impact of Building Materials on Ecological Degradation
4. Building Materials Impacts on Energy Consumption
5. Results and Discussion
6. Conclusions

3. Annually three billion
metric tons of raw materials
are consumed to
manufacture building
materials and products.
The building industry is the
second largest consumer of
raw materials, after the food
industry.
1.Introduction

4. The shapes of countries
have been stretched to
indicate their relative
consumption patterns.
World
consumption
cartogram

5. • Buildings and associated uses are responsible for a large
part of the environmental load caused by humanity.
42% of all energy consumption
40% of all atmospheric emissions
30% of all raw materials used
25% of water usage
25% of solid waste
20% of liquid waste

6. General Problem

7. Research aim
to diagnose the
environmental impact role of
building materials through life
cycle, in order to reduce the
environmental problems
related with building materials
during selection process.

8. 2. Impact of Building Materials on Human
Health
2.1. Air Pollution
“Air pollutants are
airborne solid and
liquid particles and
gases that can
pose risks to the
environment and
human health.”

9. Activities caused air pollution
• Production of electricity
• Operation of equipment used in
manufacture, transport, construction, and maintenance
• Manufacturing processes, mining and crushing of materials

10. Air pollutants can cause
• cancer
• reproductive effects
• birth defects
• damage to the immune system
• damage to the developmental
• damage to the respiratory
• neurological problems in humans and other species

11. 2.2. Smog
“Smog is a type of air pollution, resulting when industrial and fuel
emissions become trapped at ground level and are transformed
after reacting with sunlight”
Beijing China air on a day after rain (left) and a sunny but
smoggy day (right) August 2005.
Photo taken by Bobak Ha'Eri

12. Activities caused smog
• Transport of materials,
• equipments used on the
construction site,
• equipments used on
maintenance

13. Smog can cause
Like air pollutants and acidification
compounds, smog can have negative
effects on the health of people and
other biotic communities

14. 2.3. Ecological Toxicity
Toxic materials can be released into ecosystems
• As by-products of manufacturing processes
• fossil-fuel combustion
• from the direct environmental application of toxic pesticides.

15. What materials pose toxic risks to people?
• asphalt sealants
• CCA-treated lumber
• substances resulting from the manufacturing process
• substances resulting from the using process
• disposing of plastics, metals, metal finishes, solvents, and
adhesives.

16. 3. Impact of Building Materials on Ecological
Degradation
The following are the ecological degradation resulting from the
two ways of the interaction;
• As the source materials resources and
• As a sink for emissions As by-products of manufacturing
processes .

17. 3.1 Global Climate Change
Global warming occurs
when the earth is
reradiated as heat and is
absorbed and trapped by
greenhouse effect reduces
heat loss to
space, resulting in warmer
temperatures on earth.

18. Three-quarter of
anthropogenic
greenhouse-gas
emission are
generated from fossil-
fuel combustion to
power vehicle and
power generating
plants, and as raw
material for
production of
synthetic polymers

19. 3.2 Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
Human caused emissions of Ozone-depleting
substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs; used as a
propellant in manufacturing and refrigerant) and Halons (used in
fire suppression systems), can cause a thinning of the Ozone
layer, resulting in more shortwave radiation on Earth.
This has a number of potentially negative consequences, such
as impacts on plants and agriculture, and increases in cancer
and cataracts in people

20. 3.3 Acidification
Acidification occurs in surface waters and soils as acidifying
gases, primarily sulphur and nitrogen compounds, ether dissolve in
water or adhere to solid particles.

21. Acid rain also accelerates
weathering of building
materials such as
granite, limestone, concret
e, and metals. It may even
cause some stainless steel
to stain. This can cause
premature removal and
replace of some building
materials

22. 3.4 Eutrophication
“Eutrophication is the
addition of
nutrients, such as
nitrogen and
phosphorus, in soil or
water resulting in
over-stimulation of
plant growth.”

23. 3.5 Deforestation, Desertification, and Soil
Erosion
Table shows the
change of the
area of forest over
the world. Only
36% of the world’s
primary forests
remain as of 2005
Region
1990
Area
(1,000 Ha)
2005
Area
(1,000 Ha)
Change in
Area
(1,000 Ha)
Change in
Area (%)
South America 890.818 831.540 -59,278 -6.65
Africa 699,361 635,412 -63,949 -9.14
Oceania 212,514 206,254 -6,260 2.95
Central America &
Caribbean
32,989 28,385 -4,604 -13.96
North America 677,801 677,464 -337 -0.05
Europe 989,320 1,001,394 +12,073 +1.22
Asia 574,487 571,577 -2,910 -0.51
World 4,077,291 3,952,025 -125,265 -3.07

24. •loss of bio-diversity,
• global warming,
•soil erosion,
• and desertification..
Deforestation, the large-scale removal of forests, contributes
to negative environmental impacts such as

25. • agriculture,
• mining,
• new construction of buildings, or
roads,
• when trees are harvested for fuel
• Lumber For building materials
Deforestation occurs when forested land is cleared for

26. 3.6 Habitat Alteration
Habitat alteration is the primary impact resulting from mining
and harvesting of materials for the manufacture of building
materials.
Habitat alteration also can occur as a result of air, water, and
land releases from industrial processes that change
environmental conditions

27. 3.7 Loss of Biodiversity
Global climate change, the destruction of forests and
habitats, and air, water, and soil pollution have all contributed
to the loss of biodiversity over the past few centuries.
Biodiversity controls the spread of diseases, provides food and
drugs for humans, and provides resources for industrial
materials such as
fibre, dyes, resins, gums, adhesives, rubber, and oils

28. 3.8 Water Resource Depletion
Product manufacturing activities use water, and effluent wastes
that are released into water bodies reduce water resources
through pollution.
In addition, the use of impervious surfaces (such as concrete
and asphalt) seriously reduces groundwater recharge

29. 4. Building Materials Impacts on Energy
Consumption
The other environmental problems of building material are the
degree to which the material consumed energy.
The industrial sector is the largest end user of energy, greater
ever than the transportation sector or building operation

30. 4.1 Energy Consumption during the Production
of Building Materials
“The primary energy
consumption (PEC) is the energy
needed to manufacture the
building product.”

31. The table show Energy consumption of selected manufacturing sector
Manufacturing Sector Total energy
consumption
(Trillion Btu)
Chemical manufacturing; include solvents, cleaners, adhesives,
paints stains, dyes, and many other compounds used in site
construction products.
3,769
Petroleum refining; includes transportation fuel and polymer
production.
3,086
Iron and steel 1,455
Cement; includes Portland, natural, masonry, pozzolanic, and
other hydraulic cements
409
Fabricated metal products; includes industries that transform
metals into intermediate or end products.
387
Wood products; includes lumber processing and engineered
wood products
375
Alumina and aluminium 351
Metal casting 157

32. 4.2 Energy Consumption during Building, Use, and Demolition
Building materials consume more energy within the following
aspects:
• Energy consumption for the transport of manufactured
products.
• Energy consumption on the building site.
• Energy consumption during maintenance
• Energy consumption of dismantling or removal of materials
during demolition

33. 4. 3 Fossil-fuel Depletion
Fossil-fuels are used throughout a material’s life cycle to power
vehicles used in
• extraction
• transportation
• construction
• maintenance

34. 4. 3 Fossil-fuel Depletion
Fossil-fuels are used throughout a
material’s life cycle to power
vehicles used in
• extraction
• transportation
• construction
• maintenance

35. 5. Results and Discussion
The matrix of environmental Impacts of materials life cycle
Environmental Impact
Material Life Cycle
Mining Manufacture Constructing Use Demolition
Human
Health
Air Pollution √ √ √ √ √
Smog √ √ √ √
Ecological Toxicity √ √ √ √ √
Eco-degradation
Global Climate Change √ √ √
Stratospheric Ozone Depletion √
Acidification √ √ √
Eutrophication √ √ √ √
Deforestation, Desertification, and Soil
Erosion
√ √ √ √ √
Habitat Alteration √ √
Loss of Biodiversity √ √ √
Water Resource Depletion √ √
Energy
Consumptio
n
Energy Consumption during the
Production of Building Materials
√ √
Energy Consumption during
Building, Use, and Demolition
√ √ √
Fossil-fuel Depletion √ √ √ √ √

36. 6.Conclusions
In order to select green building materials, the designer needs to look at
the entire life cycle of building material, then answer:
• How is the product mining or harvested, manufactured, and transported?
• Is it produced at the factory in another country?
• Does that factory release pollution into the environment?
•What is the product made of?
•Does it contain recycled content or renewable materials?
• How much water consumption does it take to create the product?
• And, overall, is the material biodegradable or recyclable when use it in
the building?

37. Conclusions created that in order to reduce the environmental impacts,
the selected building materials should:
• Provide resource savings
• Provide energy savings
• Reduce wastes (be reusable
and easily recyclable).
• Not be harmful for human health
• Provide comfortable and
suitable conditions for human
health within the covered areas.

38. Thank you