Eco materials

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Strawbale Hut or Eco House?

(Issue of a magazine 2/2018, page 118)

Since people got out of the caves and began to build their own dwellings, they used everything they could find in the surrounding nature for construction of their homes. Reed and wooden huts, stone houses – all of these dwellings were built without any problems if there were available natural materials. In the extreme case one could use a mixture of ordinary clay, earth, straw and sand. This technology is called the adobe wall. In addition, a later time these technologies began to combine – built-up wooden houses were often covered with a layer of clay (mud huts). As the result, the timber life circle was increased and additional insulation of the dwelling was done.

 

GREEN BOOK – Reliable Information on the Environmental Safety of Construction Materials

(Issue of a magazine 3/2015, page 114)

The environmental safety of real estate items is established during their design and construction. Depending on how responsible the builders are in terms of selecting the materials, one can determine the overall safety of the house for the health of the people who live in it and for the environment. Currently, the Russian market has effective tools of assessing the environmental safety of construction materials – EcoMaterial certification standard and GREEN BOOK enlistment.

Radar-Transparent and Radar-Absorbing Ceramic Foam

(Issue of a magazine 2/2015, page 116)

Russian innovative developments in the field of radar absorbing materials set themselves with great confidence on the Russian market. The «Cerapen» company that operates in the field of innovative construction materials that are based on ceramic foam has developed and patented a technology to produce glass-ceramic foam for construction purposes that is called Cerapen. This technique ensures the production of cellular glass ceramic that is foamed when staved without metal molds in roller tunnel kilns with the average density of 0.15 to 0.55 t/m³.

If the Building Does Not Breathe - Take Gyptone Activ`Air®

(Issue of a magazine 4/2014, page 114)

Today indoor air quality has turned into a global issue because of its extremely negative effect on human health. In various buildings townsfolk spend 60 to 80% of their 24-hour period, and for small children, elderly or sick people this index can reach 100%. That is why control of indoor air quality in health care and education, as well as in cultural, entertainment and office facilities requires special attention. In modern world more and more people are well aware of the role of quality and safe construction solutions to ensure domestic indoor environment: we try to choose natural building materials and already got used to pay attention to environmental labeling, require security certificates and apply for guidance to certified environmentalists. Our buildings really become more environmentally friendly. And in this is a great merit of builders and customers and their responsible attitude towards their work.

Solutions in Tune with Our Inward Habit

(Issue of a magazine 3/2014, page 114)

Nowadays we are witnessing the most “largescale construction” for the last time in modern Russia. Its inception was the construction of facilities indispensable to the Sochi Olympics 2014, and the culmination is likely to become the great preparation for the World Cup 2018, in which entertainment will be involved 10 Russian cities. According to the KPMG data, by the beginning of the championship only the number of Russian hotels managed by international hotel operators is expected to increase more than doubled – from 89 to 215. In these regions will grow also the number of new offices of classes A and D, shopping and cultural centers. But the plans are not always being put into practice, and the promotion of international franchises in the Russian provinces, as a rule, is realized much more slowly.

Environmental Product Declaration: ISOVER Creates a New Trend for the Insulation Market to Drive Green Building

(Issue of a magazine 3/2014, page 118)

Russian current environmental legislation obliges the manufacturer to disclose the contents of the product; however it is very often unclear how the material affects the environment. For instance, in Europe they have estimated that ISOVER insulation saves up 300 times more energy during operation than during production and disposal. To do this they have collected data on the use of non-renewable resources, the consumption of energy and water, the packaging type and the quantity of industrial waste. On top of that they have taken into account the analysis of environmental, quality and performance characteristics of ISOVER thermal insulation, as well as the transportation and disposal means.

Plant Cellulose – Stiffness of Steel

(Issue of a magazine 1/2014, page 118)

Recent scientific findings that unveil the remarkable structural performance of plants could completely change what we think of a “green architecture.” Researchers at Purdue University, who conducted an experiment on cellulose nanocrystals concluded that the material, which is the structural basis of plant life, has the stiffness of steel. The same tiny cellulose crystals that give trees and plants their high strength, light weight and resilience, have now been shown to have the stiffness of steel.

Bio-Concrete: Tableaux on the Facades

(Issue of a magazine 4/2013, page 116)

The future of design requires thinking innovatively about the way of current construction techniques function so we may expand upon their capabilities. Sustainability has evolved far beyond being a trend and has become an indelible part of this design process. Sustainable solutions have always pushed against the status quo of design and now the Structural Technology Group of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech (UPC ) has developed a concrete that sustains and encourages the growth of a multitude of biological organisms on its surface.

Eco-Friendly Materials of ISOVER Promote Modernization of the Construction Industry

(Issue of a magazine 3/2013, page 118)

In 2013, declared as the Year of Ecology in Russia, ISOVER came with a decent confirmation of environmental friendliness of its products, having become the first in obtaining “Leaf of Life” eco-labels and having earned the highest scores on the Russian market of mineral wool heat insulators according to the EcoMaterial GREEN standard. The increased quality control of production, certificates and findings from the leading independent scientific research institutes confirm safety of the ISOVER materials for human health and environment. No coincidence that this production is actively applied in medical, child care and other facilities with special requirements to construction materials.

Design as a Tool of Updates

(Issue of a magazine 2/2013, page 118)

Green architect and coauthor of the pivotal green design handbook ‘Cradle to Cradle’, William McDonough is one of the founders of the green design movement and one of the preeminent thoughtleaders of our time. The journalist and writer Andrew Michler, the consultant in the field of construction of the passive houses, carrying a certificate of LEED AP BD + C, met him to talk about safe materials and the products environmentallycertified in ‘Cradle to Cradle’ system. This is a standard that defines the sustainability of the products, materials and technologies.