Transcript Example Coursework [Wise Building]

The WISE
site, before
construction
How the WISE
building should look
after construction
WISE will provide a high-quality training and conference facility demonstrating that
environmentally sound buildings are possible and comfortable.
All materials have been chosen to minimise energy inputs and the environmental impact of the
construction. Very high standards of insulation, and air tightness have been picked, which
combined with design to maximise natural day lighting and ventilation, and careful specification
of low
I visited the WISE project while in year 11 and took part in a demonstration on
sustainable materials and techniques. The trip was very in opening the horizon
of the construction and the built environment.
Inroduction
All of the work that will follow will come under the title of Sustainable. I will look at many of the different and new
materials used on the Wales Institute for Sustainable Education project.
There were 12 sustainable materials used in the construction of the building that were of importance to this piece
of work, the materials are as follow, Sand Lime Bricks (Used to construct the plinth walls that support the frame,
these are made of sand and lime and are also known as calcium silicate bricks) , Local Slate (Slate from a
demolished old quarry building was used to build the walls of the PV courtyard) , Stainless Steel (The main
feedstock is recycled steel, and no new ore is usually used) , Cellulose (Cellulose (recycled paper) for roof
insulation) , Clay Pipe (Traditional fired clay pipes was used for ducts and drains, as a replacement for PVC pipes
more usually used), Perlite (Perlite, a volcanic rock which puffs up when heated to high temperatures) , Cork (Cork
in key places in foundations to prevent cold bridging, and an insulation layer in some roofs) . These 12 materials
are the most environmentally friendly materials possible to the project under the budget that was provided. The
main materials that I will look at will be Brownfield sites, Hemp & Lime and Rammed earth.
A Brownfield site is a site ready to be built on but has been built on before in the
past, this could be from a Industrial site to an residential development site. This
means that there will be electricity, water, and sewerage appliances available
on the site which will be cheaper and less time consuming for the developer.
There are also more advantages to this because on green field sites the ground
needs time to settle but with Brown field sites the ground has settled which
gives more time for the building to start the construction stage.
Brownfield- A site that has been built on before. Normally associated with urban areas.
Greenfield- Sites that have not been built on before. Often rural / countryside areas.
Brownfield site.
Generally, brown field sites exist in city's or town's industrial section, on mountains containing abandoned
factories or commercial buildings, or other previously polluting sites. Small brown fields also may be found in
many older residential neighbourhoods. For example, many dry cleaning businesses or gas stations produce
high levels of contamination during prior operations, and the land they occupy might sit idle for decades as a
brown field.
Effects Upon Greenfield Sites of Development.
•Once land has been changed to development, it is unlikely to ever be changed back to Greenfield use.
•Destruction of the natural habitat of some animal and plant species.
•Loss of agricultural land results in loss of production and loss of employment.
•Negative effect upon transport and energy use.
•Loss of the green belt of agricultural or designated wildlife land, that clearly defines and separates areas of
difference, be they cities, towns, suburbs, villages or hamlets of housing.
What is hemp-lime?
Hemp Lime is a proven construction material mostly
used for insulating walls in buildings. It is also widely
used for under-floor and roof insulation, as well as
attractive decorative patterns and internal finishes to
maximise the benefit of energy conservation it provides.
Hemp Lime products offer to mainstream construction, materials that have
the ability to make a very significant contribution in combating global climate
change. Fast growing hemp takes Carbon Dioxide and stores Carbon during
its growth and releases Oxygen into the atmosphere. This captured Carbon
can then be retained within the fabric of a building. Sequestration of
atmospheric CO2 in this manner offers an exciting opportunity to grow and
produce truly sustainable, natural fibre based, insulation and construction
materials.
“A special blend of hemp and lime is becoming an increasingly widely accepted
eco-alternative to concrete – and especially popular used in conjunction with
wood-based construction.”Mike Jeffree reports
Fresh hemp lime
mix
Hemp and Lime uses Tradical HB like a binder. It is set on high purity lime
mixed with different materials. This is then mixed dry with hemp. Afterwards
water is put into the mix and is sprayed onto the formwork and put up
around the timber frame.
The mix is sprayed on shutters to close in the timber frame, after this the wall
will be about 500mm thick. This gives a high amount of insulation and air
tightness. This makes the building very eco friendly and cheaper to heat up in
the future.
“Hemp construction is an eco-friendly alternative for light-weight flooring, insulating
walls and ceilings.”
Report from;
http://www.stastier.co.uk/hemp-construction.htm
It is possible that hemp based walls, with
their thermal performance could keep
buildings warm in winter and cool in
summer, and are easy to construct, these
are all important issues in the global
warming crisis.
Hemp has been used as a type of fibre,
fuel and nutrition for thousands of
years, and has been described as the
most widely grown crop in the world.
Unfortunately, hemp has suffered a
degree of infamy because of its
association with the drug cannabis. We
are pleased to say that the varieties of
industrial hemp grown today have been
specially bred.
Conclusion ; I think that Hemp and Lime is a very under
stated material. It ability to match up to the high needs of a
sustainable built environment shows that it will be a material
for the future. In the right place this could be revived (areas
that don’t flood). In my opinion I think that the construction
environment need to learn more about the sustainable
environment and need experiment with more eco-friendly
materials like Hemp this would be an ideal material for more
research to be carried out.
Glasswool (Mineral Wool)
Advantages.
The world’s most popular and widely used energy saving
insulation, it’s highly sustainable. Easy to install in walls
and lofts it’s the most cost effective insulation solution
available on the market – it also contains recycled glass
making it even better for the environment.
Heating costs in a building insulated throughout with glass
mineral wool can be reduced by up to 60%. That's not only
good news for those responsible for paying the fuel bills. It is
also comfortably within Government targets to help alleviate
fuel poverty in the future.
Disadvantages.
May cause temporary skin irritation by mechanical action.
Cutting and handling may create dust. High levels of dust
may irritate throat or eyes.
frame with hemp and
lime fill
Rammed earth has been around for 10,000 years, and over that time it has been
used to build many types of building from single-family homes to monasteries,
palaces and fortresses. The Great Wall of China is 1/3 rammed earth which shows
its durability and strength.
Rammed earth has been used in China for thousands of years and is still being
used to this day. During the 1368-1644s’ and 1644-1911s’ many Hakka built large
closed in multi-story buildings, which could house around 300 people.
Yemen – High rises
Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
Rammed Earth has been used on many
different buildings in the passed in many
different countries around the world for
example,
•Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet
•Forbidden City, Beijing, China
•Church of Reconciliation, Germany
•The Great Wall of China
•Eco-village, Earth song, New Zealand
•Church, Arizona
•Yemen – High rises
•Tibet, Ando - Rebkung Monastery
By its very nature, rammed earth is one of the best sustainable building materials
as it is historically the longest used material by man. It is a naturally available
product, with a heavy thermal mass and a natural barrier to cold winds and
forces of nature including insects and rodents. The material is not rationed, it is
fire proof, and sound proof. Rammed earth can contribute to a solution for much
of the world of homelessness caused by high costs as well as today ecological
dilemma caused by deforestation and toxic building materials.
Why rammed earth?
Earth buildings have the lowest amount of embodied energy of any masonry material.
Cement production is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions in the world. So
finding other more environmental and sustainable ways of meeting ever increasing
demand for roofs over our heads is vital. Earth can carry large amounts of weight, but
cannot make sky scrapers, so keep cement for sky scrapers and earth for other
housing, schools, clinic or business uses.
Environmental:
Economic:
•Saves trees from our valuable
forests
•Higher equity
•High insulation rating at R30
•Lower insurance
•Thermal mass
Safety:
•Engineered for earthquakes
•High load bearing capacity
•Cost comparable to conventional •Sustainable technology
•High fire resistance
•Sustainable technology
•Great air quality
•Very low maintenance
•Free of chemicals
•High insulation rating at R30
•Uses local materials
•Insect proof
•Rodent proof
•Shields from harmful
electromagnetic radiation
•Thermal mass
•Great air quality
•Lowers heating costs
Aesthetic:
•Natural beauty
•Insect proof
•Rodent proof
•High sound resistance
•Uses local materials
•Wide window sills
•Great air quality
Great Wall of China
Llynclys Quarry near Oswestry was identified as source of Rammed Earth and samples of several different materials were taken for
testing. The Rammed Earth chosen was a waste product that had already been processed, and had a suitable grading of 6mm
particles downwards. The Rammed Earth was delivered to CAT in tonne bags ready for use.
Llynclys Quarry
Llynclys Quarry is sited next to the village of the same name, approximately 6.4km south of Oswestry in Shropshire. This
operational quarry covers a total area of 65 hectares and 9.4 hectares of the total area have been restored.
High quality limestone has been extracted here for some 150 years and a Technical Working Group is responsible for continuously
monitoring the site and implementing a long term plan of aftercare for the restored land, and subsequently the whole quarry, when
final restoration is completed.
Rammed Earth
As a rule of thumb, you can expect a rammed earth
wall to cost you approximately the same as a
masonry wall. Issues which will affect the cost
include: how far the soil must be transported; how
much wall area is required (economies of scale
apply); how complicated the design is; how high the
walls are. We can quote on the cost of the walls at
an early stage of design so that you can compare the
cost with other methods suitable for your house
http://www.rammedearthconstructions.com.au/faq.ht
ml#How%20much%20does%20it%20cost?
Normal Bricks
RECLAIMED FLETTON BRICKS (Imperial Size)
9’’ x 2 5/8’’ x 4 1/4’’
Price per 100 Bricks
£60.00
Price per 1000 Bricks
£450.00
Flettons are used all over the country and are normally used as
backing bricks. They come in two colours from a pinkie shade of red to
medium red, a very hard brick very popular from about the late 1950s
to build cheaper housing.
WISE-Wales Institute for Sustainable Education
RAMTEK-Rammed Earth Technology
www.citb.co.uk
Ibstock Brick Limited
www.hemplime.org.uk
www.hse.gov.uk
By Sue Meredith. Construction, BTEC First Core Units – Published 2007.
It is possible that hemp based walls, with
their thermal performance could keep
buildings warm in winter and cool in
summer, and are easy to construct, these
are all important issues in the global
warming crisis.
Hemp has been used as a type of fibre,
fuel and nutrition for thousands of
years, and has been described as the
most widely grown crop in the world.
Unfortunately, hemp has suffered a
degree of infamy because of its
association with the drug cannabis. We
are pleased to say that the varieties of
industrial hemp grown today have been
specially bred.
Conclusion ; I think that Hemp and Lime is a very under
stated material. It ability to match up to the high needs of a
sustainable built environment shows that it will be a material
for the future. In the right place this could be revived (areas
that don’t flood). In my opinion I think that the construction
environment need to learn more about the sustainable
environment and need experiment with more eco-friendly
materials like Hemp this would be an ideal material for more
research to be carried out.
Glasswool (Mineral Wool)
Advantages.
The world’s most popular and widely used energy saving
insulation, it’s highly sustainable. Easy to install in walls
and lofts it’s the most cost effective insulation solution
available on the market – it also contains recycled glass
making it even better for the environment.
Heating costs in a building insulated throughout with glass
mineral wool can be reduced by up to 60%. That's not only
good news for those responsible for paying the fuel bills. It is
also comfortably within Government targets to help alleviate
fuel poverty in the future.
Disadvantages.
May cause temporary skin irritation by mechanical action.
Cutting and handling may create dust. High levels of dust
may irritate throat or eyes.
frame with hemp and
lime fill