Pakistan is one of the many countries under threat from the consequences of climate change, including frequent floods severe heat waves. These dramatic catastrophes have resulted in
substantial structural damage and their estimated reconstruction costs amount to $20 billion.
To minimize these damages, it is important for urban planners to use ‘climate resilient’ building material which can withstand the strain caused by climate change on a city’s infrastructure.
Although these materials are 10 to 20% more expensive than traditional ones, they are less vulnerable to external temperatures and climate conditions, thereby making them more energy-efficient. The additional expense is offset by savings in energy bills within three to five years. Another benefit of these materials is that they have a low carbon input (LCI), due to the fact that their extraction, melting, refining and manufacturing require less energy than traditional materials which have a high carbon input.
Climate resilient materials that are increasingly being used in high-end commercial projects, include:
●Beams, shafts and rods made from harvested wood, recycled metal and laminated bamboo instead of aluminium and steel.
●Low-carbon bricks in place of traditional clay and blast furnace bricks; these are made from fly ash, a fine powder that consists of silica, iron and alumina.
●Green concrete is a good substitute for traditional concrete. The primary components of this sustainable material are fly ash, granulated blast – furnace slag and granite, all of which are recycled from the debris of demolished structures.Traditional concrete, which is made from carbon-rich sand has been identified as one of the major causes of extreme climactic patterns.
●Green tiles, made from recycled glass, have a natural sparkle and can be used for a building’s Internal and external flooring and cladding instead of those made with ceramic or concrete.
By Ibrahim Murad. The writer is a consultant engineer.