Alejandro Martínez-Rocamora

Methodology for Determining the Carbon Footprint of the Construction of Residential Buildings

With the increasing activity in the building sector in the last decade, construction has become a major consumer of natural resources. This resource consumption has been traditionally accounted for through life cycle assessment and similar approaches. In this chapter, a methodology to apply the carbon footprint indicator to a building project is proposed in order to predict the emissions generated by the construction work. The methodology takes into account the resources used and the waste generated. Thus, a number of factors involved in the calculations are first defined, followed by the methodology to determine the carbon footprint for each of the elements into which it is divided (i.e., energy, water, food, mobility, construction materials, and waste). Finally, the methodology is applied to a case study corresponding to the urbanization and building construction of a representative building type in Andalusia (Spain) when the building is in the planning stage.

Vertical Greenery Systems As Sustainable Solutions For Building Retrofitting: A Case Study

In this paper, an environmental impact assessment has been developed for evaluating advantages and disadvantages of installing a Vertical Greenery System (hereafter VGS) on two south-oriented facades of a building, together with movable wooden slats on its windows. Initial investment has been compared to annual maintenance costs and energy savings in terms of equivalent solar energy, based on the eMergy method. An existing building in Siena (Italy) was taken as a case study. Thermal performances were simulated based on reliable parameters. These were hypothesized for modelling the envelope and windows as well the effects of the VGS and slats on indoor climate conditions. Results showed that installing the VGS and wooden slats over the south-west and south-east facades (around 800m 2 ) would decrease the cooling energy demand during warm months of around 50% and highlighted the environmental profitability of the proposed solution for a 130,000m 3 building. Compared to previously published results (98m 2 VGS of a 1000m 3 detached house) which report a quota of 15% cooling energy saving, this model demonstrates that potential benefits of VGS can significantly increase due to the scale-factor (i.e. dimension of facades and building volumes) and the combination with wooden slats.

Natural Stabilized Earth Panels versus Conventional Façade Systems. Economic and Environmental Impact Assessment

More effective construction technologies are needed nowadays in order to reduce construction energy consumption during the life-cycle of buildings. Besides which, it is necessary to consider the economic feasibility and associated costs within the framework of these alternative technologies so as to favouring their practical implementation in the construction sector. In this sense, this paper presents an economic and environmental comparison of a new non-bearing facade construction solution based on the extruded unfired stabilized clay panels as opposed to three traditional solutions with similar physical, thermal, and aesthetic characteristics in terms of the exterior cladding. The proposed panels are a sandwich type configuration with an intermediate insulating material and two exterior pieces manufactured by extrusion with raw earth stabilized with alginate and animal wool fibers. In this paper, details of the constructive technology of the system are provided. From the results obtained, it is possible to conclude that the solution is a valid alternative from the environmental point of view, considerably reducing the Global Warming Potential and the Cumulative Energy Demand. And although the environmental improvement of the system can be considered the primary objective of this investigation, on the other hand, once executed, it will also be a competitive constructive technology from the perspective of the system’s final costs.

Recycling of Wastes into Construction Materials

Construction activity generates a large amount of waste, causing environmental and economic impacts due to waste elimination without recycling or reusing these materials. In this research, the incorporation of wastes from different sectors (biomass, power plants, construction and demolition process) in concrete with good fire resistance is studied. The chemical composition and grading curve of these wastes are determined. Fire resistance blocks are manufactured with a high percentage of waste in their composition. The new materials are then subjected to several tests in order to analyse their fire resistance, mechanical properties, thermal conductivity, leaching, and radioactivity. A new facade solution is developed by changing traditional materials for some of the new recycled materials, and their technical features are compared. All four wastes studied decreased the density and mechanical strength of a 28-day-old block, and a higher water ratio is needed for block preparation. On the other hand, the blocks’ fire resistance increased, decreasing their thermal conductivity. The properties of the new materials validate their possible usage for nonstructural applications such as blocks or prefabricated concrete panels for facades and inside partitioning, showing good mechanical and thermal performance. Their use does not represent a significant risk to the environment.