Buildings are the very foundation of human civilization that has managed to both evolve and develop over the ages. So it is only prudent that we choose the building supplies with caution and care, to give it a stronger foundation. There are several factors to consider that could make or break your building in the make. This article is intended to simply keep your mind aware of all those points and guide you around choosing your building supplies this 2020.
With natural calamities and disasters playing havoc almost every year, it is of prime importance that the very building material to be of top quality that can sustain every single factor that nature throws at it. The best way to tackle this is to utilize sustainable materials, thus eliminating the demand for new materials. If you are trying to remodel your house, you could simply renovate or reuse existing materials and better furnish your den. Here are the five simple steps to economize your building supplies:
1. Choose a highly durable material with low maintenance requirements.
2. Ensure they have a low environmental impact, emphasizing the sustainability feature too.
3. Having an LCA or Life Cycle Assessment of the product will quantify the material assessment and help compare building materials.
4. Incorporate easier construction and design approaches to allow space for renovation or remodelling in the future.
5. Lastly, choose smaller building designs to contain material wastage, and opt for prefabricated or modular elements that will allow for better use of space.
Factors to Consider While Choosing Building Supplies
Three main factors help enhance the quality of your construction and its building supply.
- Embodied Energy - The embodied energy is the front end component of the life cycle impact of the building. Meaning, the energy that is consumed by all of the processes involved in the production of a building starting from the mining of natural resources till product delivery. The material you choose and the construction method significantly affects its embodied energy in the structure of your building. Design long life, durable and adaptable buildings to reduce the impact of embodied energy.
- Waste Control - Australia alone contributes to around 42% of solid waste globally when it comes to construction. Right from material sourcing, processing, to its transportation, there is a lot of scrap waste that ends up in landfills. If you effectively reduce, reuse, and recycle building supplies it would have social, economic and environmental benefits at large.
- Construction Systems - Construction systems simply refer to the building elements and materials that make up the floor, roof and walls of the building. Over the ages, these materials have also evolved and developed for the benefit and betterment of mankind. Each material has its advantage and disadvantage depending upon climate, your budget and the building design. Apart from this some other factors also influence your choice of construction system such as the impact on the environment, cost-effectiveness, thermal performance, recycling potential and availability of material. Considering all this will help you choose your building supplies in a better way.
Some of the most recent and updated types of materials that you could opt for this new era are:
Lightweight Frames - Australian construction has advanced to lightweight framed designs, mostly either in timber or steel, thus contributing to aesthetic appeal, elevated comfort and environmental safety.
Claddings - Claddings are non-loadbearing layers fitted to the exterior of the construction to shed water and protect the building from the effects of weather and other wear and tear, thereby significantly improving the building’s environmental performance.
Insulating Concrete Forms - IFCs are modular units in the form of interlocking blocks or panels, made from polystyrene or polyurethane foam and filled with concrete. They are particularly suited for projects that aim to achieve a very high level of thermal performance.
Choosing your building supplies after considering all these factors and pointers will help enhance the foundation of your construction while also minimizing cost. The Australian construction industry is laden with advanced and modular supplies which will not only simplify your work but also help promote the country’s beautification.
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