Renewable and biodegradable materials derived from biomass are attractive candidates to replace non-biodegradable petrochemical plastics. However, the mechanical performance and wet stability of biomass are generally insufficient for practical applications.

The major cost of construction is incurred on building materials and most of these building materials are cement products. The ever increasing price of cement coupled with the rise in the price of other construction materials make the construction cost far from the reach of the low and the middle income group of urban dwellers.

Cross laminated timber (CLT) has become a well-known engineered timber product of global interest. The orthogonal, laminar structure allows its application as a full-size wall and floor element as well as a linear timber member, able to bear loads in- and out-of-plane.

This article provides a state-of-the-art report on some selected topics related to CLT, in particular production and technology, characteristic material properties, design and connections.

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Gypsum is widely used in the construction sector, and its worldwide consumption has been increasing for several decades. Depending on the lifetime of the used gypsum products, an increase of gypsum in construction and demolition waste follows. Especially against the background of a circular economy, the recycling of waste gypsum is of growing importance. However, the use of recycled gypsum only makes sense if it is environmentally friendly.

Almost half of a building’s emissions are hidden, embodied in the processes of extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, maintenance, retrofitting, demolition and end-of-life treatment. Reducing the impacts of construction and the emissions associated with it will require a significant shift in business-as-usual construction practices.

Using the methodology presented in the Eco-innovation Manual, this supplement on building materials provides sector-specific information and guidance to sustainability consultancy service providers supporting companies in eco-innovation. It should be used alongside the Manual to provide further context at each step and examples of how the methodology, activities and templates can be applied in real life to a company in the building materials sector.

TYPHABOARD is made from typha (cattail), a plant that grows quickly and easily in all kinds of marshes throughout the world.The material provides both structural and insulation properties. It can be used in timber frame structures, or 100% typha strutures. It can also be used as insulation materials when retrofitting existing buildings.

More and more builders want to know: what is the carbon footprint of my building materials? And how can I reduce those impacts?

Builders for Climate Action built the BEAM estimator to help you, and made it easy to use and understand.

Input the main dimensions of your building, and you'll find a comprehensive list of all the available materials for all the main assemblies and the carbon footprint for each choice. Choose materials to create a model of an assembly or a whole building.

EIT Climate-KIC has teamed up with a cohort of partners to develop a handbook to help cities reduce embodied carbon in construction.

Globally, buildings account for 39 per cent of carbon emissions, with the share of embodied carbon (arising from manufacturing, transportation, installation, maintenance, and disposal of building materials) becoming more dominant as energy efficiency increases and energy sources become less carbon intensive. Therefore, dramatically reducing this source of emissions in the construction sector is a priority.

The risks of not curbing global warming are clear. The good news is that the built environment can play a massive role in drawing down emissions. But decarbonizing the built environment needs to advance now: New buildings and renovations of every type need to be built and operated to zero carbon emission standards. This is a collective endeavor. It will take every building in every community. The entire built environment sector, like the entire world of nations, is in this together.