The environmental impact of building materials

This note reviews the quantities and types of building materials use internationally and in Australia, with projected trends for Australia to 2055. It introduces methods available to evaluate environmental impacts and then goes onto analyse current impacts using life-cycle assessment.  It concludes by reviewing the sustainability of contemporary patterns of use and future trends, using a systems perspective. It is intended to be read in conjunction with Strategies and resources for material selection.

note summary
  1. Introduction
  2. Improving building sustainability
  3. Environmental impact evaluation methods
  4. Australian research assessment
  5. How sustainable is Australia's use of building materials?
  6. Conclusion
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