Press Release The Environmental Advantages of Masonry Products

Aug 08, 2011

Masonry products include brick, block and stone. They are among the oldest, longest lasting and most versatile building materials. There are many reasons to make masonry products your first choice in building materials. They all relate to the physical characteristics and environmental impacts of brick, block and stone. Together, they define the environmental advantages of masonry.

MASONRY IS EXTREMELY DURABLE

Brick, block and stone are more durable than alternative building cladding technologies, like wood, vinyl siding or EIFS products (Exterior Insulation Finish Systems: exterior wall cladding system consisting primarily of polystyrene foam board with a textured acrylic finish that resembles plaster or stucco). These differences are especially meaningful when one considers buildings that have a lasting social-cultural value, such as city halls, libraries, court- houses, etc.

The material toughness of masonry is shown by its resistance to fire, water, impacts, and mould. Its durability means less required maintenance and reduced costs to building owners.

Among consumers, the tangible durability of masonry tends to evoke an emotional feeling of permanence and solidity that is valued in many contexts.

MASONRY HAS HIGH THERMAL MASS

Masonry absorbs heat, stores it, and then gradually releases it. Because masonry remains warm or cool long after the heat or air-conditioning has shut off, it reduces heating and cooling loads and therefore energy consumption.

A recent building energy simulation compared a high mass building (having high thermal mass, typical of masonry) with a low mass version of the same building in five cities across Canada.The results showed that 8-13% heating energy savings, as well as lower peak equipment loads, could be achieved by high mass construction.¹ Because operating costs account for most building costs over the life cycle, the benefits of masonry go straight to the bottom line.

A computer simulation study compared equivalently sized and shaped masonry and timber-frame buildings (with a 30% higher insulation R-value). The overall seasonal heating loads for the heavy building were 12.3% less and the seasonal cooling loads were 17.4% less than the better-insulated frame comparator.²

Thermal mass also can shift energy demand to off-peak periods when it costs less. As jurisdictions increasingly adopt off-peak pricing to reduce peak energy demand, masonry’s ability to shift energy demand to off-peak times will be of growing importance.

MASONRY CONTRIBUTES TO OCCUPANT SAFETY AND HEALTH

Fire Resistance

Masonry resists fire, unlike alternate clad- ding materials like wood, vinyl siding and EIFS products. It provides high fire-resistance ratings and residual post-fire strength. In a fire, masonry construction provides superior performance by maintaining overall structural stability/integrity and local integrity by resisting impact before/during fire. Because they are non-combustible, masonry products do not contribute to fire load.

Unlike masonry products, vinyl siding – for example - is flammable and generates toxic gases when it burns. Research undertaken by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Building and Fire Research Laboratory has found that approximately 80% of fire deaths result from the inhalation of smoke, gases and vapours rather than from heat or direct contact with the flames.³

Mould Prevention

In typical use, masonry construction prevents growth of toxic mould because: (a) masonry materials do not provide a needed source of food; and (b) masonry wall systems offer defined water management strategies that effectively (i) resist the penetration of moisture both from the interior and exterior, (ii) minimize accumulation and duration of exposure of materials to moisture, and (iii) facilitate drying.

A Canadian research study completed in 2003 showed definitively that wood and gypsum board products are sources of mould growth: "Under identical conditions conducive to the growth of fungal mould, no mould is produced on clay brick, concrete block and concrete, whereas substrates made of wood and paper products produced measurable amounts." ⁴

Better Indoor Air Quality

Because masonry products resist mould growth, they preserve air quality in work and living environments.⁵

They also emit much smaller amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)than many other building materials, thus contributing to indoor air quality and personal comfort and health.

Masonry products are superior to many commonly used construction materials, with respect to "out-gassing." In contrast to vinyl and other plastics and petro-chemical based building materials and furnishings, masonry products emit very low levels of volatile organic compounds.

The following chart indicates the superior out-gassing performance of masonry, compared to some other commonly used construction materials.⁶

MASONRY IS PART OF THE SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTION

Masonry products are highly competitive with other building materials in life cycle analyses that consider materials and occupancy-related building energy consumption.

Green Materials

Masonry’s characteristics enable it to contribute significantly to sustainable construction design. Under the LEED green building rating scheme, for example, buildings are point-rated on their performance in six areas: site-related sustainability; water efficiency; energy use and atmosphere; materials and re- sources; indoor environmental quality; and innovation and design process.

Masonry products can contribute to point ratings in every category. According to industry expert, Christine Subasic, P.E., LEED AP, "… it is safe to say that masonry offers the most potential for synergy within the LEED rating system. For example, masonry used for the building wall system can contribute toward points in reduction of construction waste, recycled materials content, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, acoustics and of course durability." ⁷

Masonry products are the original green products, in that most of the materials they contain – including clay, limestone, sand, gravel – are available in virtually inexhaustible supply. For example, a study for the Canadian government concluded that concrete has a lower environmental impact than wood or steel. The limestone, sand, and gravel quarries used for making concrete consume significantly less land and are more easily reclaimed than forestry operations or iron ore mines.⁸

Masonry products can be salvaged and re-used, thus reducing demand for new products. Block manufacturers, in particular, can recycle various forms of industrial waste in their concrete mix. This not only diverts such waste – including fly ash and slag – from landfill, but also reduces carbon dioxide emissions. These recycled materials are used to reduce the amount of new Portland cement in the concrete mix. Because cement production involves high levels of CO2 emissions, the environment benefits doubly.⁹

Building Performance – Energy Use

A newly released study by the U.S. National Buildings Institute confirms that new buildings certified under LEED perform, on average, 25-30% better than non-certfied buildings on energy use. Higher levels of LEED certification correlate with increased energy savings. Gold and platinum verified buildings have average energy savings approaching 50%.¹⁰

The significance of this is that energy use from operations represents 85-95% of the total energy associated with a building over its life cycle.¹¹

ECONOMIC RETURNS TO OWNERS

A variety of recent studies have compared thousands of LEED-certified and ENERGY STAR buildings that in one study comprise 350 million square feet of commercial and industrial space.12 Study after study has verified that:

• Green buildings sell for much more –as much as $171 more per square foot – than their non-green peers
• These buildings command higher rents than non-certified buildings
• These buildings have significantly higher occupancy rates

Of course, not all of these buildings are built with masonry. But many are – masonry is competitive in all building categories.

Finally, buildings of masonry construction may be eligible for reductions in insurance premiums, because of their safety advantages, especially fire resistance and durability.

CONCLUSION: MASONRY HAS AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ADVANTAGES.

• Durability
• Operational energy savings
• Fire resistance
• Mould prevention
• Superior indoor air quality
• Green materials that are re-usable and recyclable and
• Highly attractive economic returns to owners

Whether you're a developer, architect, contractor, contract specifier or consumer,

THE ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF MASONRY WILL WORK FOR YOU!