Material selection in construction has always been at the forefront of design and development. As the climate continues to change and climate events increase in their intensity and frequency, material selection has never mattered more. At the heart of strong, durable and adaptable communities is climate resiliency: the ability to bounce back from extreme weather and climate events. Resiliency goes beyond simply making buildings more durable and able to withstand floods, hurricanes, or storms though. It’s about changing the way we approach construction, the materials we use, and the energy we use to produce buildings to become a part of the climate solution.
Breaking the carbon cycle is one way that the construction industry can affect change and become a part of the climate solution. The “carbon cycle” refers to the constant loop of emissions caused by using fossil fuels to manufacture building materials. More frequent climate events results in more frequent rebuilding. When rebuilding is done with carbon-intensive materials, the carbon cycle is reinforced and further contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that propagate the climate problem. It’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. Construction needs to shift away from carbon intensive materials during rebuilds, opting instead for materials that are produced with renewable energy; ones that break the carbon cycle. Climate resiliency starts with breaking the carbon cycle and being proactive about material selections for new construction, retrofits, and rebuilds.
Climate resiliency is often associated with images of buildings standing strong against hurricanes, floods, or wildfires. While durability is a function of climate resiliency, it’s equally about being forward-thinking, building structures and buildings that thrive in a changing climate. The way we traditionally build contributes significant amounts of greenhouse gasses to the environment. Construction is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, much of which comes from embodied carbon. Embodied carbon is the emissions created during the production, transportation, and installation of building materials. If resilient buildings that combat climate change are the goal, that process needs to be reconsidered from the ground up.
Breaking the carbon cycle requires finding new ways to produce materials without relying on fossil fuels and newly mined materials. Renewable energy and electrified manufacturing are major components that can affect change on the carbon cycle. By using renewable energy sources, manufacturers can drastically reduce the embodied carbon footprint and contribute to the breaking of the carbon cycle. This builds a strong foundation to make production processes cleaner and sets the stage for a carbon-free future.
Electrified manufacturing is an opportunity for battling climate change. Within construction, manufacturing contributes a significant portion of carbon emissions. By swapping out fossil fuels for renewable energy, high performance materials can be produced with a low carbon footprint. Glavel’s Vermont manufacturing facility produces foam glass gravel using renewable energy from Green Mountain Power. Foam glass gravel helps break the carbon cycle by replacing carbon-intensive insulation and fill materials that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions during new construction and rebuilding. Climate Watch and the World Resources Institute estimate that 24.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from energy use in manufacturing and industry. Electrifying manufacturing facilities is expected to be a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions reductions as urgency for climate solutions arise.
Many other organizations are also setting remarkable examples in the push for decarbonization in the built environment. Building Transparency is recognized for its work in driving the adoption of the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), a tool that empowers stakeholders to reduce embodied carbon in building materials. New Frameworks is a Vermont-based design-build firm that uses ecological design principles with straw bale panels create low-carbon, resilient structures. Timber HP is a leader in wood fiber insulation products that significantly lower the environmental impact of thermal performance in buildings. These groups complement the efforts of others in the industry, fostering collaboration and innovation to accelerate the transition toward a net-zero future.
Resilient construction isn’t simply about buildings and infrastructure being built to the realities of the changing climate. It’s about a full life cycle commitment to materials that proactively contribute to a low carbon future. The shift to low embodied carbon building materials is a necessity. Breaking the carbon cycle requires a concerted effort from manufacturers, builders, engineers, politicians, architects, and construction professionals to join together and embrace change at scale. Groups like Building Transparency are helping to lead the way and inspire change at scale. At Glavel, we are proud to be a part of the movement, helping to meet the demand for materials that build a climate-resilient future.
Breaking the carbon cycle in construction is key to building climate-resilient communities, requiring a shift to low embodied carbon materials and electrified manufacturing to combat climate change.
Foam glass gravel aligns with Passive House principles; its thermal insulation, durability, and recycled content make it an excellent choice for underslab insulation in high performance buildings.
As thermal insulation for subslab insulation systems, foam glass gravel is an environmentally friendly, high performance choice for engineers and architects.