Innovative Green Building Material: Sustainable Panels

“Good architecture lets nature in” - M. Pie.

Architecture is a part of nature and should blend with it. However, the modern-day world presents us with a different scenario. With the growing concrete jungles, we may soon find ourselves at the loss of the actual green ones. Such sharp growth of the construction industry has made it essential to rethink the conventional norms of designing.

Sustainable architecture has surfaced as a viable solution to this issue. Green architecture practices are environment-sensitive. They are redefining the landscape of modern-day construction by employing renewable resources. The use of green building materials is one such sustainable practice helping to reduce the carbon footprint of construction activities.

The Need for Green Building Materials

A census predicts that by 2050, the world population will reach the 10 billion mark. But, the resources on earth are not increasing at such a rapid rate. To fill this vacuum, it is vital to let renewable resources guide the way forward.

Green building materials constitute natural resources. Thus, they have a lesser environmental impact compared to conventional materials. Materials such as bamboo, mud, ferrocement, and strawbale are examples of sustainable materials.

With technological advancements, many eco-friendly materials are being discovered by recycling waste products.

Discover sustainable building materials online with Archmozzo.

3 Sustainable Panels You Must Know

Ricron Panels

Ricron Panels are redefining the journey of plastic. Instead of single-time use, plastic is being recycled as a green building material. Ricron designs and manufactures these sustainable panels.

This eco-friendly material is awarded Green Pro Certification by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Multi-Layered Plastic (MLP) waste is treated to produce the panel. The manufacturing process generates no waste by itself.

Ricron Panels are a substitute for wooden and steel construction members. The panels find application as roofing sheets, walling panels, brick pallets, partition boards, flooring tiles, shuttering formwork, and furniture.

Regenerated from plastic waste, these sustainable panels are cost-effective. The material is strong and durable. It is resistant to water, heat, termite, rust, and fire which makes it suitable for construction purposes.

Ricron roofing sheet is a recyclable material and is a certified green building product. They are durable and have minimal or no damage from cracking, tearing, and rusting.

Agribio Panels

Agribio Panels are green building materials made from straw. It is the waste generated from harvesting crops such as wheat, sugarcane, coconut, and rice. With India generating 500 million tons of straw waste every year, the country has much potential to reuse it as a construction material.

Identifying this opportunity, Strawcture Eco has innovated Agribio Panels. The company manufactures economical construction materials and products to reduce the depletion of natural resources. The discovery of Agribio Panels is rooted in the idea of integrating agri-waste streams in the value chain. This also supports the livelihood of farmers.

Agribio panels are composed of more than 90% straw and a proprietary adhesive. This recyclable material is compressed at high temperatures and pressure to produce strong and durable construction panels.

The panels are available in 3 grades with their thickness ranging from 8mm to 35mm. Agribio Panels are considered to speed up the speed of construction by 30%-40%. Construction with Agribio Panels reduces the dead load by 30%as compared to a conventional RCC structure.

Based on the grades, the sustainable panel finds application in false ceiling, drywall, doors, furniture, and mezzanine flooring. Agribio panels provide good thermal and sound insulation. They also provide resistance to fire, water and termite. The green building material is E1 certified- a standard of safety recognized in Europe and has a negative carbon footprint.

Structurally Insulated Panels

Structurally Insulated Panels (SIPs) are used for high-performance building systems. They are suitable for residential and small-scale commercial projects.

The structural anatomy of a SIP consists of two structural facings with an insulating foam core to provide thermal comfort. This green building material is factory-made. SIPs are strong, durable, energy-efficient, recyclable, and economically viable.

These sustainable panels are manufactured in varying sizes and thicknesses ranging from 4 to 8 inches. The use of SIP is considered to reduce the construction time of a building by 2 to 3 weeks.

The material provides creative freedom to architects for experimenting with innovative building forms. SIPs are stronger than conventional wood framing and twice as efficient as it.

This sustainable material finds wide applicability as roof, flooring, internal and external walls. A SIP construction allows better control of indoor air quality by limiting the incoming air and controlled ventilation that filters out the allergens.

Final Thoughts

Adopting sustainable materials can help in creating a clean built environment. Architects and Planners must incorporate sustainable design concepts at the planning stage of a project. You can begin by introducing passive cooling techniques, using renewable energy, and green building materials. Such a transformation at the planning stage will create the domino effect and push the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) community at large to go green.

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