Materials to be compared:
Key Issues:
- Deforestation from (KBB) brick burning processes a serious problem
- Low-cost housing remains unaffordable to the majority
- High cost of cement & transport
- Unfiired earth (e.g. adobe bricks, rammed earth) carry stigma of low social status
Some definitions:
A Green Economy is..
…"one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It is low carbon, resource efficient, and socially inclusive" (UNEP, 2011).
…“fostering economic growth and development while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies” (OECD, 2011).
The key indicators of Green Economy in this context could be:
Inclusive economic growth:
Initial Cost (materials, labour, transport)... (addressing affordability)
Ease of use (addressing accessibility)
- Materials cost vs. Labour cost (addressing economic equity)
- Job creation (addressing economic & social equity)
Sustainable use of resources & energy efficiency:
- Use of natural resources vs. manufactured products
- CO2 Emissions & Embodied Energy
- Thermal performance (also addressing user comfort)
(I am considering another indicator that addresses user health/comfort in some way, such as indoor air quality, but I think the data would be too time consuming to find. Any suggestions for user health/comfort that are simply to quantify would be helpful).
Please feel free to suggest other performance indicators, bearing in mind this is an undergraduate dissertation and I want to keep things simple due to time and data constraints. IT's more of a 'proof of concept' study.
For me, the interesting question is: To what extent can the use of natural capital and labour stimulate Green Economy growth? This is obviously a much broader question than what I am seeking to do, and even if I tried...I would undoubtedly get nowhere considering the complexities of sustainable economic development.
Nevertheless, I think comparing building materials against Green Economy objectives is helpful to search for improvements to the urban housing situation in developing countries.
Any other comments and advice would obviously be well received.
Thanks
Successful Building materials are related to the climate of the area. Most Unfired clay based products
are only useful in fairly dry climates. Adobe Bricks, rammed Earth, wattle and daub, etc are used in
areas of low to very low annual rainfall.
You may be fighting a loosing battle. If the human population grows to the point that it is stripping the locally available material resources, and they are not willing or able to replenish them, then the end result will be a desert.
If the locals do not store water, and grow crops and grow trees, then they will use up all of the trees.
First, I would define the unit of operations. For example, the material needed for building a 60 m2 single house unit or material need for a 60 m2 apartment. The unit is depend on the most significant use. Indicators for building one unit of operation (e.g. a 60 m2 house):
- Energy need for production, transportation and building,
- Emissions: CO2 and other significant ones,
- Expected life period of the material,
- Cost,
- Insulation capability or climatization energy need/unit/year,
- Recyclability,
- End of life: decomposing, reuse, recycle, landfill,
- Dry weight of the used feedstock for building one unit of operation,
- etc.
Robert is right. You might wish to explore both energy, carbon, and cost balance from production over usage to end-of-lifetime procedures (recycling or waste deposition). Add to this social categories such as toxicity, child labor etc.
The main indicator that tends to be used to assess the influence of building materials towards the green economy, Energy use, air Emiisi CO2/climate change, Global warming, sustainability of the environment.
A key part of Green Economy is social and economic equity. Isn't what you are referring to simply focused on the environment?
How can data on building materials and processes be used to measure equity? Green economy also focuses on efficient use of resources, not simply their environmental impact.
I recommended to enzyme clay brick. Enzyme have capacity to react with clay enzyme to have ionic reaction, then it increased the compressive strength of clay brick. In addition save energy, because it doesn't need to be fired.
You need to focus on the Environment, and educating the people about sustainability, which includes planting trees, planting crops, making bricks, drying bricks, building foundations, laying bricks, making walls at least 1 foot thick. To build a house you need clay, water, wood, rocks, tools, and sunlight, and
some grass, straw or hay to bind the bricks together. People do not need equity, they need resources, knowledge, training, and understaing that if the trees go away, the people die, or, they move away.
The addition of aluminum foil to reflect the sunlight and bake the bricks dryer sooner
the best indicator is sustainability and protection of the environment
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