A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing Systems in the UK/International Construction...

7/31/2019 A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing Systems in the UK/International Construction Industry

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A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing Systems

in the UK Construction Industry SamanthaManniex

A Critical Comparison of Green Flat Roofing Systemsin the UK Construction Industry Samantha

Manniex

Faculty of Economics & Management

Commercial Sciences & Management Field of Study

Master of International Business Economics & ManagementDegree Programme

Confidential

Company Project

A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing Systems in the

UK Construction Industry

Master Thesis by

Samantha MANNIEX

Submitted for the Degree of

Master of International

Business Economics and Management

36Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel2010



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Manniex

Academic Year 2009 - 2010

Table of Contents

A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing Systems in the UKConstruction Industry 5

1 - Introduction 5The Global Threat of Climate Change 5

The United Kingdoms Response 6

2016: The Zero-Carbon Target 6

BRE and The Green Guide to Specification 7

The Company: Krete Sustain Systems Ltd 7

PEST Analysis The External Environment of Krete Sustain Systems Ltd 10

Political Factors 10

Economic Factors 10Socio-cultural Factors 10

Technological Factors 11

Project Methodology 11

General Research Questions 14

Specific Research Objectives 15

Project Overview 15

2 - Literature Review 172.1 - Introduction 17

Definitions 17

Call to Action on Sustainability: The Brundtland Report 18

The Importance of Materials 19Embodied Energy and Full Life Cycle Analysis 20

Potential Flaws in the Code for Sustainable Homes 21

Cost of Ownership and Full Life Cycle 22

Limitations of Existing Environmental Assessment Tools 23

Zero Carbon Homes in 2016 24

Concluding Comments 25




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3 Legislation Discussion 27Introduction 27

The Climate Change Act 2008 27

The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan 28The Code for Sustainable Homes 30

The Green Guide to Specification 31


4 Primary Research 33Introduction 33

Choice of research methodology 33

Presentation of Survey Results 35

Discussion of Results 37


5 - Competitor Comparison 41

Introduction 41The Use of Plastics in Building 41

Comparison of RoofKrete with five international waterproofing membrane systems 42

Cement Products and Pollution 47

Application of RoofKrete 47


Embodied Energy 49

Introduction 49

Reducing Energy Consumption in the Building Industry 50

Embodied Energy Comparison by Product 52

Embodied Energy of Transport (to UK) Cradle to Site 53

Embodied Energy of Application 53

Embodied Energy of Disposal 55Concluding Comments 55

6 - Discussion 59Recommendations for Krete Sustain Systems Ltd 61

Improvements of RoofKrete 62

7 - Conclusion 64Research Questions and Objectives 64

Summary of main findings 65

Contributions to Knowledge 66

Prospects for Future Research 67

8 - List of References 68

9 - Appendices 72Questionnaire blank copy 72




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A Critical Comparison of Sustainable Waterproofing

Systems in the UK Construction Industry

1 - Introduction

The Global Threat of Climate Change

For many years environmental scientists have been warning of the imminent dangers of

climate change. An increase of certain gases in the atmosphere has caused the planet to warm

up by 0.74 degrees C in the last 100 years (Act on CO2, 2010). Although this might seem like

only a minor increase, it is still enough to upset the Earths delicate balance and cause

dramatic changes in global weather patterns. Heat waves, floods and droughts are just a few

of climate changes serious effects. The scientific community consistently agrees on two main

points: firstly, that the actions of human beings have directly caused climate change, and

secondly, that we need to make drastic changes to our behaviour immediately, otherwisematters will become much worse (Act on CO2, 2010).

Global decision makers began to seriously heed the scientists warnings only in the last two

decades. Long-term changes, such as shifts in rainfall patterns and declines in Arctic sea-ice,

all follow the predicted pattern of climate change and unmistakeably the result of increased

human activity (Act on CO2, 2010). Now governments around the world are implementing

schemes that are designed to tackle the threat of climate change head-on. These schemes

range from carbon credit trading, to the total revamping of traditional forms of energy use,

which means replacing fossil fuels with renewable forms of energy. Wind farms,

hydroelectric power and solar panels are well known examples, and new green technologies

are constantly under development. The goal is to create a sustainable planet where future

generations can enjoy a quality of life similar to ours today. However, the human race first




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needs to ensure that it can undo most of the environmental damage that begun during the time

of the Industrial Revolution (NOAA Research, 2010). Tackling climate change is the biggest

part of this crucial challenge.

The United Kingdoms Response

Many countries have committed significant time and resources to finding climate change

solutions. In particular, the United Kingdom has been at the forefront of this movement,

leading the way by setting ambitious environmental targets. Especially important is the UK

governments Low Carbon Transition Plan, (see appendices) a roadmap outlining a plan to

make the UK a low-carbon nation. According to this plan, the goal is to reduce carbon

emissions by 34% on 1990 levels by the year 2020 (The Low Carbon Transition Plan, 2009).

The Low Carbon Transition Plan provides a detailed examination of main industry sectors.

For each one, it discusses the proposed carbon cutting changes and how they will affect daily

life and work. The building industry is a major player in this strategy and the transition plan

devotes an entire section to it, Transforming our homes and communities (The Low Carbon

Transition Plan, 2009).

This clearly shows the role the building sector plays in making the UK one of the worlds

leading low carbon nations. As previously mentioned, the UK has developed some ambitious

goals to show its commitment to tackling the worlds environmental problems. These goals

cannot be reached without the cooperation of the building industry. One particular goal

involves the UKs housing stock, and is outlined in the next section.

2016: The Zero-Carbon Target

In 2016, all new homes in the UK will be zero-carbon. This will be measured by the Code for

Sustainable Homes (the Code), which is a key focus of this project and will be addressed in




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more detail during subsequent chapters. Previously, there have been a number of approved

international systems for rating the sustainability of buildings. However, the government has

recognised the need for greater consistency and simplicity to encourage the UK construction

industry to adopt an entirely new approach to building (UK Green Building Council, 2010).

The Code was launched in December 2006, and introduced as a voluntary standard in

England from 2007. In 2008 it became mandatory to rate all new homes on the Codes scale,

regardless of the actual score, simply so that home-owners would better understand their

propertys environmental impact. However, from 2016 onwards it will become mandatory for

all new homes to reach level 6 (zero-carbon) on the Code scale. A similar target is planned

for non-domestic buildings, such as offices, schools and hospitals. However, the more diverse

and complicated nature of these buildings means that they require further research by the UK-GBC and other industry experts. As a result, the zero-carbon target for non-domestic

buildings has been set for 2019 (UK Green Building Council, 2010).

BRE and The Green Guide to Specification

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) maintains a directory of green construction

firms, known as the Green Guide to Specification, which is an important reference source for

architects when specifying suitable materials for sustainable building projects. Membership of

this directory can present a significant opportunity for a small to medium sized sustainable

building company to increase its business and improve its national visibility.

The Company: Krete Sustain Systems Ltd

The idea for this project came from an awareness of the increasing global relevance of

sustainability, combined with an existing interest in current affairs and environmental issues. I

met the managing director of Krete Sustain Systems (Dr Jenkins) through personal

networking and persuaded the company to allow me to write a thesis on sustainable

waterproofing membranes. The benefit for the company would be that my research would

help the company to better understand current sustainability issues, and potentially create




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future business opportunities. During October 2009 the managing director and I discussed

how a research project could help the company better understand the marketing possibilities

of focusing on sustainability. The managing director and I thought that the present

international attention on environmental issues would provide a suitable backdrop for

increased marketing of Kretes product. Now is a perfect time to highlight the green and

sustainable characteristics of Krete Sustain Systems flagship product, the waterproof

construction membrane known as RoofKrete System 4 (hereafter referred to as

RoofKrete).

RoofKrete has been used on various British construction projects over the last thirty years. Its

main applications are on flat roofs and balconies, but it has also been used in more diverseprojects such as: a buried earth shelter in Tintagel, Cornwall, boat building, and gridshell

construction (Krete Sustain Systems Ltd, 2009). A gridshell is a curved structure usually

made from timber, which is also an extremely sustainable material. However, extra materials

are required to make a timber structure waterproof, which is why RoofKrete became the

perfect choice for the Downland Gridshell project (The Architecture Ensemble, 2002). In

addition to being fully waterproof, RoofKrete is also highly durable and carries a thirty-year

warranty. University tests have suggested that the product is likely to outlast the life of the

building (Krete Sustain Systems Ltd, 2009). RoofKrete has been used on many roofs around

the south of England during the last thirty years, and Krete Sustain Systems Ltd can now use

these successful projects as evidence to prove its durability claims for RoofKrete and increase

the products credibility. The company has also won some major awards, such as the

Classroom of the Future Award from Devon County Council in 1992, the Architects Journal

Award in 1995 for the Downland Gridshell project (Dawson, 2002), and the Millennium

Products Award from The Design Council/previous Prime Minister Tony Blair (The Design

Council, 2010). More recently, RoofKrete has won the EcoHouse award from the Daily

Telegraph/Home Building and Renovation Magazine (Krete Sustain Systems Ltd, 2009).

These awards suggest that RoofKrete has already gained a certain level of recognition among

experts in the UK.




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Extensive laboratory testing at the universities of Bath and Portsmouth has proven that

RoofKrete has the durability attributes required to make it a suitable choice for long-lasting

and strong buildings (Krete Sustain Systems, 2010). Additionally, the product has already

been proven capable of considerable longevity. Furthermore, the raw materials used to make

RoofKrete are highly green and can be sourced locally almost anywhere in the world. This

considerably reduces the transportation-related embodied energy of the final product, and

means that it could be easily manufactured in almost any country (Krete Sustain Systems,

2010).

As part of this research project, a comparison will be produced showing how RoofKrete

performs against its main competitors. This comparison will show how the components ofRoofKrete (sand and Portland cement) have superior sustainability ratings than those of

major competing products. Cost is also an important consideration, and when comparing

costs, it must be noted that the life expectancy of a RoofKrete flat roof far exceeds that of its

competitors, and therefore the associated maintenance costs will also be lower. Krete Sustain

Systems Ltd refers to this situation as fit and forget, and identifies it as one of RoofKretes

major assets (Krete Sustain Systems, 2010).

The company and I were aware that the UK government had recently released a number of

sustainability directives, and were therefore confident that we could attract attention within

the industry by making an analysis, aimed mainly at architects, which compared the

sustainable features of RoofKrete with its main competitors. In February the managing

director and I attended a non-domestic buildings task force workshop run by the UK Green

Building Council. The aim of this event was to gather opinions on the content and direction of

the non-domestic zero-carbon initiative from a range of industry experts. We believed that

this knowledge would help us to show how RoofKrete is suitable for meeting the design

needs that will result from future changes in UK sustainable building policy. In future, it is

hoped that RoofKrete will be the first choice for architects when they specify sustainable

waterproofing membranes, particularly for flat roofs and balconies.




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The target audiences of this project will be the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Between them, these two industry

bodies represent the main areas of our target market, specifically new build (RIBA) and

refurbishment (RICS). Moreover, the scope has potential to reach even further, as a result of

green building legislation due to be enforced in coming years. Finally, the competitors

mentioned in this research project are large companies, and all of them market their

waterproof membrane systems globally. Krete Sustain Systems Ltd is currently only selling

RoofKrete within the UK, although it aims to enter the global market in the future. Therefore,

the main focus will be on the UK for the purpose of this project, although the global potential

will be kept in mind throughout and discussed at times when it is directly relevant.

Because the conclusions of this project will contribute to the companys future marketing

strategy, it will be helpful to briefly consider the macro-environment within which Krete

Sustain Systems Ltd is operating. This is an important first step in planning any marketing

strategy, because macro-level factors may be critical determinants of the companys future

opportunities and threats (Grant, 2005, p.68). An organisations macro-environment consists

of political, economic, socio-cultural and technological elements (Grant, 2005, p.68).

Marketers and strategists refer to an analysis of these factors as a PEST analysis. The

managing director of Krete Sustain Systems Ltd suggested that these analyses should be

carried out in an attempt to achieve a clearer picture of the companys current strategic

position.

PEST Analysis The External Environment of Krete Sustain

Systems Ltd

Political Factors

Krete Sustain Systems Ltd currently trades in the UK market only. Within this area there are

some key political factors that will be likely to affect the external environment of the

company. The passing of the Climate Change Act 2008, with the resulting Low Carbon

Transition Plan and the 2016 zero carbon housing target, mean that there is now a distinct




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government focus on, and long-term commitment to, the promotion of sustainability in the

UK. This creates a potentially promising business environment for a company that is offering

an environmentally friendly product.

Economic Factors

After the financial crisis, the UK economy has been left in an especially bad state. The new

Conservative government have already introduced many austerity measures aimed at rescuing

the economy, such as increased VAT (value-added tax). This is likely to make the average

British consumer feel poorer, more price-sensitive and therefore less likely to pay more for

expensive sustainability measures on their homes. Krete Sustain Systems Ltd must be

competitive with the rest of the market with the price per square metre of RoofKrete. In its

marketing strategy Krete Sustain Systems should also aim to highlight the fact that due to

RoofKretes long life span, it may save the customer more money in the long run than

similarly priced competitors.

Socio-cultural Factors

The UK governments widespread promotion of sustainability is likely to have raised

awareness of this issue in the construction industry. This has been indicated to some extent by

the existence of projects such as the Downland Gridshell Museum, and the Great British

Refurb. Whether awareness of sustainability issues has been significantly raised within the

private consumer market is still uncertain.

Technological Factors

There are certain measures that can be taken to improve the product RoofKrete in terms of

making it more environmentally friendly. RoofKrete is made from a large proportion of

cement. The cement industry is strongly focused on improving the quality of its products and

carries out ongoing research and development aimed at making cement more environmentally




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friendly, for example, by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during cement

production (Lafarge, Cement, 2010).

Comments on PEST analysis

A brief assessment of the environmental factors affecting Krete Sustain Systems and the

product RoofKrete has shown a number of positive signs for the company. The current

political climate in the UK is quite focused on the promotion of sustainability in building, and

the government have been actively raising awareness of this topic. The economy is in a poor

state, meaning that people will be acutely sensitive to prices and as a result may prefer to

invest in products that require little maintenance. Ongoing technological advances in the

cement industry, especially regarding sustainable production processes and components,

means that Krete Sustain Systems will have more opportunity to improve the ingredients of

RoofKrete.

Project Methodology

The methodology for this project will consist of three strands: two that will analyse secondary

data, and one that will collect and analyse primary data via a research tool. Firstly, an in-depth

review of relevant literature will be conducted. Then there will be an analysis of three pieces

of government legislation: the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK Low Carbon Transition

Plan, and the Code for Sustainable Homes. The aim is to examine how the recommendations

of the legislation relate to the themes identified in the literature review. Finally, the

methodology will include a piece of primary research, aimed at a small target group of UK

architects, who are the eventual target audience for this research project. It is hoped that theprimary research will be able to provide answers and greater insight to the questions and

themes raised during the literature review and legislation analysis. The primary research aims

to find out what architects think about the efficiency of current environmental assessment

methods i.e., the Green Guide to Specification, whether they think the Green Guide could




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be improved in any way, and also to gain a clearer indication of the factors that constitute an

environmentally friendly building product, which is necessary to make a meaningful product

comparison.

It was decided that a combination of secondary and primary data would be a suitable method

for this research project. Secondary data refers to data that has already been collected by a

party other than the current researcher, such as journal articles, government legislation, or the

results found by previous studies. Crowther (2008) recommends that researchers should

examine secondary data before even embarking on collection of primary data. It may be the

case that the secondary data can successfully answer the research questions, in which case the

use of costly and time-consuming primary research can be avoided. There are a number of

drawbacks concerning the use of secondary data, which shall be briefly outlined here. There isa huge amount of secondary data available, especially on the Internet. The researcher needs to

ensure that they do not succumb to information overload, which wastes valuable time and

effort, and that they clearly identify the data that is relevant to their research questions

(Crowther, 2008). Additionally, there is the fact that someone else has already collected the

secondary data for a different purpose, meaning that the current researcher should be very

careful about how they interpret it. Therefore it is important to evaluate the usability of

secondary data sources before attempting to include it in a research project (Crowther, 2008).

To better ensure usability, the secondary data included in this project was selected according

to the guidelines suggested by Jankowicz (1991, in Crowther, 2008). It was straightforward to

find the government legislation that pertained to climate change, because there was a limited

amount of it in existence. The literature was chosen from various environmental journals, and

the most recent studies were selected where possible.

The advantages of secondary data are quite numerous, and tend to outweigh many of the

disadvantages. Secondary data is especially useful in business related projects, and is

commonly used in this context, where it can be used to identify the problem and set

objectives (Crowther, 2008). Used in this way, secondary data can be a good opportunity for

the researcher to explore the topic further, refine the research questions and objectives, and

may also help them to design the primary research process, if any is required.




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A triangulation approach (Cano, 2003) was chosen because it seemed that any single method

would be insufficient to cover the breadth of knowledge required by this research.

Additionally, the use of triangulation improves the reliability of the primary research by

corroborating it with other sources of data, and helps to improve primary research by enabling

the researcher to identify key variables and use the primary research to investigate these

further. The primary research method will be discussed in further detail in Chapter 4.

General Research Questions

After extensive discussions with the managing director of Krete Sustain Systems Ltd,

carrying out a basic strategic analysis of external and internal environment factors, and

gaining further understanding of the product RoofKrete, it became possible to form the

research questions for this project. It seemed possible that RoofKrete could be the most

sustainable and environmentally friendly waterproofing membrane system currently available

on the UK market, and therefore should be the first choice for architects looking for a suitable

product for constructing a waterproof flat roof on a low-carbon, sustainable building.

Therefore the first and most important research question is as follows:

1. Is RoofKrete the most sustainable and environmentally friendly flat roofing product

in the UK market today?

Secondly, there is a need to examine the concept of embodied energy more closely, especially

the embodied energy of transport. During preliminary research and reading, it appeared that

this concept may be a very important influence on the environmentally friendly nature of a

product, and so far has not been carefully considered either by competitors who are calling

their products green, or by the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) when it created the

Green Guide to Specification. This study will present a deeper discussion of this concept,

highlighting the fact that a product wishing to call itself green or environmentally friendly

needs to have a low overall embodied energy rating. The study will also compare the




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embodied energy of RoofKrete with 5 major flat roofing competitors. This leads to the second

research question:

2. Why is the concept of embodied energy so important?

After conducting the above research, especially in relation to embodied energy, it is possible

that some limitations in the current BRE green material ratings system might be discovered.

The aim is to assess the impact of these, and suggest how the system could be improved in the

future, which culminates in the third and final research question:

3. What are the limitations of environmental assessment methods such as the GreenGuide to Specification? How might this method need to change in the future?

Specific Research Objectives

Present the issue in an appropriate political and timely context

Conduct an in-depth literature review to identify opinions on the current themes

related to this topic, and identify any gaps that may be filled by this research.

Examine three pieces of legislation: The Climate Change Act 2008, the Code for

Sustainable Homes, and the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan.

Conduct primary research with British architects, aiming to find out how they choose

products for green building projects.

Identify the key factors that make a building product environmentally friendly.

Examine the concept of embodied energy and how it relates to a products

environmental impact over its full life cycle.

Create comparisons showing how Kretes product, RoofKrete, measures up to its

main competitors in the UK waterproofing membrane market.




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Discuss the implications of this projects findings for Krete Sustain Systems Ltd., and

suggest how the company might use the findings of this project in a new marketing

campaign.

Further discuss the future implications of this research for green building in the

United Kingdom and globally.

Project Overview

The topic of green building lies within the wider context of sustainable development and

climate change, all of which are currently under intense discussion around the world. Many

countries are now developing certain schemes, such as carbon credit trading, by which their

governments hope to reduce the damaging effects of national economic activities on the

environment. It is important therefore to first present some background to the green building

topic, discussing the opinions of experts in the field in an attempt to provide support and

justification for this project. This will be the main focus of the literature review section in

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3 will examine three pieces of government legislation in detail: the Climate Change

Act 2008, the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, and the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Chapter 4 will discuss the chosen research method and the alternatives that were considered.

It will also present and discuss the results of primary research in the form of a questionnaire

conducted with British architects. The aim is to build upon the knowledge gained from the

literature study and the legislation analysis, and will enable identification of the main criteria

that should be present for an environmentally friendly and sustainable building product.

Chapter 5 will present a comparison of RoofKrete against waterproofing membranes

manufactured by the main competitors in the UK. These products are sold not only in the UK

but also all over the world. The most important sustainability factors were already identified




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in Chapter 5, and these shall be compared for each product along with the embodied energy

levels.

Chapter 6 will bring together the results of the whole study and discuss the implications for

Krete Sustain Systems Ltd and the green building industry in general. It will also offer some

recommendations for the company, which will be aimed at improving its economic

performance.

Chapter 7 will conclude the research project, discuss the answers to the original research

questions, plus any new findings, and furthermore will suggest topics for further research in

this field.

The questionnaire shall be placed in the Appendices section.

2 - Literature Review

2.1 - Introduction

Before starting to investigate any topic from a new perspective, it is important and

enlightening to evaluate existing studies and opinions related to the key themes of the project.

This literature review will first briefly introduce the concept of sustainability in a global

context, highlighting the progress of attitudes from the early days of the Brundtland Report, to

the recent government targets such as zero-carbon homes by 2016, and the role of the Code

for Sustainable Homes. Then it will analyse further studies that deal with themes on which the

rest of the research can be developed. The purpose of the literature review is firstly to build a




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foundation for the new research that will be carried out by this project and secondly to

evaluate existing works to find out if any gaps are present that this research could further

build upon. It is hoped that evidence will be found which not only points to the existence of

significant and pressing issues, but also justifies the need for this projects existence.

Definitions

At this early stage it will be helpful to clearly define three terms that will be used frequently

throughout this research project.

Green is often used to refer to anything related to environmentalism, or to the state

of being environmentally friendly. Green building, green politics, and green

energy are commonly found examples.

Environmentally friendly is a synonym for green, and will be used throughout this

research project as a more specific substitute for the former.

Sustainable is often incorrectly substituted for the former two terms. Specifically, to

be sustainable means to have the capacity to endure (Merriam-Webster Online

Dictionary 2010).

Call to Action on Sustainability: The Brundtland Report

Back in 1987, the Brundtland Report was a call to action that urged the entire world to work

together on building a sustainable future (Brundtland, 1987). This comprehensive report on

environmental issues showed how sustainability is a relatively recent concern, which only

emerged properly during the latter half of the twentieth century. The Brundtland Report

marked the start of a global shift towards environmental awareness. In particular, it

recommended changes to international institutions and legal mechanisms, effectively calling




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for increased international action on issues of common concern (Brundtland, 1987). Perhaps

most relevantly for this project, the report highlighted the need for increased co-operation

with industry (Brundtland, 1987). Naturally, the Brundtland Report is a product of its time,

and has been subjected to a number of criticisms, namely that some of its predictions failed

to come true. Nevertheless, it has been highly influential in shaping global attitudes towards

environmental issues and can therefore be considered a seminal document in the field.

John Robinson supports one key message of the Brundtland Report, that sustainability must

be an integrative concept, across fields, sectors and scales (Robinson, 2004, p.378). He

acknowledges that since the publication of the Brundtland Report in 1987, further

developments have suggested that it will not be easy to achieve this level of integration. Morespecifically, Robinson suggests that integration of sustainability must happen across all

sectors, and to stand any chance of success, must involve the private sector, which is the

chief engine of economic activity on the planet (Robinson, 2004, p.378). Robinson argues

that governments alone do not have the will or the capability to accomplish sustainability on

their own and that is why he identifies the importance of private sector co-operation. Still, a

combined effort by government and the private sector is not sufficient for a successful

sustainable future. Civil society must also be involved, meaning that people have to change

their attitudes. We need a political constituency for change, a market for different products

and consumption patterns, and social acceptance of both the public policy and the private

sector actions needed to accomplish these goals, no fundamental changes in behaviour or

practice are possible (Robinson, 2004, p.378). Many governments and NGOs are now

zealously pursuing the goals described by Robinson. The UK has been especially active in

implementing a political constituency for change by setting environmental targets.

Additionally, the UK government has tried to present clearly defined pathways to guide the

country towards the targets. Robinsons mention of a market for different products and

consumption patterns (Robinson, 2004, p.378) directly refers to the need for a wider

acceptance of environmentally friendly products, so that they soon become the norm. This is

especially relevant within this projects area of study - the building industry.




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The Importance of Materials

A large part of the literature focuses on the importance of using sustainable building

materials, and one study in particular examines in detail the role of such materials in

maintaining sustainable societies. Berge (2009) draws attention to L.P. Hedebergs Four

Conditions to Achieve a Sustainable Society. Three of these conditions are directly relevant

to the research questions of this project,

1. Do not take more out of the crust of the Earth than can be replaced. This means that

we should try to avoid the use of fossil fuels and mining, because materials extracted

from beneath the Earths surface can only be renewed very slowly and in small

quantities.2. Do not use man-made materials that take a long time to decompose. Many man-made

materials, that have never been a part of the natural lifecycle, are very difficult for

Nature to break down. For example, plastics can take many years to decompose.

3. Use resources efficiently and correctly, stop being wasteful. When using materials to

build with, accurate quantities should be used in order to avoid needless waste. This is

also an important consideration during the material manufacturing process (Berge,

2009, p.xiv).

Berge questions the feasibility of a building technology that meets all of the above

requirements emerging during our lifetimes (Berge, 2009). In addition to the three aspects

mentioned above, there are many others that should be considered when sustainable buildings

are created, for example, cost and longevity. Building materials play a huge role in

sustainable construction, and have the potential to help societies reach a high level of

sustainability. Berge highlights a number of other aspects worthy of consideration when

thinking more deeply about green building. He summarises these as follows:

Work - Methods used to produce each building component. How production currently

takes place and other ways which it can take place.

Raw Materials - Occurrence of material resources, their nature, distribution and

potential for recycling.




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Energy - The energy consumed when producing and transporting the materials, and

their durability.

Pollution - Pollution during production, use and demolition, the chemical footprint of

each different material (Berge, 2009, p.xv).

It has now been established that identifying and using the correct building materials is an

important element of sustainable building. Dorothy Chwieduk (2003) further expands on this

by highlighting the importance of promotion of quality when designing a sustainable

building strategy, in particular focusing on quality of materials (Chwieduk, 2003, p.216).

Chwieduk discusses the value of using the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) method to consider

the energy and environmental effects of buildings, systems, elements and materials startingfrom the extraction through to production and use to the end-use (i.e. the disposal and/or

recycling) (Chwieduk, 2003, p.216). Chwieduk specifically highlights the importance of

embodied energy as a critical part of the LCA consideration. She goes on to point out that

selection of materials should be performed with the least impact on the environment, taking

the complete life cycle into account (Chwieduk, 2003, p.217). The themes introduced by

Chwieduk: embodied energy, quality of materials, and full life cycle analysis, are further

expanded upon in later studies that will be discussed during this review.

Embodied Energy and Full Life Cycle Analysis

Embodied energy, as mentioned by in the previous study, is a very important part of the

sustainable building analysis. Yohanis and Norton (2001) develop this idea further in their

study of the life cycle operational and embodied energy for a generic office building in the

UK. Firstly, they provide a useful definition of embodied energy as, the energy embodied in a

building is that used to extract, manufacture and transport building materials and components

(Yohanis & Norton, 2001, p.77). Secondly, they categorise energy use into operational energy

(for running of the building) and embodied energy of building materials (Yohanis & Norton,

2001, p.78). The fact that buildings are becoming increasingly more efficient at using energy

means that embodied energy is becoming a larger part of the total energy used over a




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buildings life cycle. Yohanis & Norton point out the problems involved in accurately

measuring embodied energy, due to a lack of reliable and accurate data (Yohanis & Norton,

2001, p.77). However, this study is now nine years old, and since it was written the industry

has devised more accurate methods of measuring embodied energy, such as can be referenced

in Bjorn Berges book The Ecology of Building Materials (2009).

The issue of life cycle analysis is again mentioned by Yohanis & Norton, who link it to the

concept of embodied energy by arguing that recurring embodied energy should form a

significant part of whole life cycle analysis (Yohanis & Norton, 2001). They also give

illustrative estimates for the additional energy associated with replacement and repair over the

lives of various buildings, which reinforces the point that this is an aspect that cannot beignored. In conclusion, Yohanis & Norton suggest that the additional consideration of

recurring embodied energy over the lifetime of a building further strengthens the case for

proper design and selection of materials to reduce overall energy consumption in the

construction industry (Yohanis & Norton, 2001, p.88). From the conclusions presented in

this study, and also in the work of Chwieduk, it can be clearly seen that embodied energy of

building materials is a topic meriting further investigation, and as such should form a major

part of this research project. It seems that any method of assessing the greenness of

buildings ought to take embodied energy of materials into account. The works of Chwieduk

and Yohanis & Norton, while providing some enlightening perspectives on embodied energy,

were both published long before the Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code) was introduced

in the UK. The Code is the UKs universal system for rating the sustainability of domestic

buildings. Examining a more recent study will be helpful to determine how embodied energy

of materials might relate to the Code.

Potential Flaws in the Code for Sustainable Homes

McManus, Gaterell and Coates (2009) produced a recent article arguing that the Code has

some inherent flaws. McManus et alsuggest that the Code may be unable to meet its targets

for sustainable energy due to inconsistencies between the ways in which low and zero-carbon




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technologies are assessed, and how they behave in real-life situations (McManus, Gaterell &

Coates, 2009). The paper concludes that further research and policy changes are needed to

ensure that sustainable energy is delivered in the housing sector (McManus, Gaterell &

Coates, 2009). In particular, the study mentions that reaching the highest level of the Code,

zero-carbon, may be especially difficult due to a number of factors. The most relevant of

these is failure to consider the full lifecycle of the technologies that are likely to be used

(McManus, Gaterell & Coates, 2009, p.2017). The main emphasis of this study is that

embodied energy will have a strong impact, which must be included in any attempt to develop

a sustainable energy strategy. McManus et alsuggest that it is vital to examine the full life

cycles, including all maintenance requirements, for all technologies that will be included in

zero-carbon homes (McManus, Gaterell & Coates, 2009, p.2017). This means that aconstruction product with low embodied energy levels would contribute to improving the

overall energy efficiency of new buildings. A product of this sort may offer a significant

advantage over other flat roofing materials if it can be proven to have the lowest embodied

energy level over its full life cycle (McManus, Gaterell & Coates, 2009, p.2017).

Cost of Ownership and Full Life Cycle

A further theme in the literature is cost, which will be especially relevant to architects when

choosing which materials to specify. Cost in this context refers to the overall cost of

ownership (Malin, 2000, p.410). In Malins article the author addresses the commonly held

perception that environmentally preferable materials cost more and concludes that this does

not need to be the case (Malin, 2000, p.408). He introduces the idea of life cycle costs, an idea

that is especially relevant to this project and that relates to the literature already discussed.

Malin offers a useful definition of the term environmentally preferable, which is

synonymous with green and, broadly defined, can be any material that contributes to an

optimally green building (Malin, 2000, p.409). More specifically, the author suggests that

environmentally preferable can also refer to materials that have the best environmental

performance over time (Malin, 2000). Malin also lists a number of criteria that are commonly

looked for when identifying a building material as being green. These are as follows:




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recycled content, low embodied energy (reducing the pollution associated with energy used

to make the product), and the use of minimally processed, natural raw materials (avoiding

the toxic intermediaries and by-products of the petrochemical industry) (Malin, 2000, p.409).

Malin argues strongly that although some green materials may at first be more costly than

ordinary materials, they may enable the owner to recoup the initial costs over the life cycle of

the building. This happens especially in the case of materials whose environmental benefits

come from providing enhanced building performance (Malin, 2000). In summary, Malin

makes two key points, firstly, that there is a strong relationship between cost and full life

cycle. Secondly, materials that perform well and require less maintenance over the life cycle

of a building will be more cost-effective in the long term (Malin, 2000).

The literature that has been discussed so far strongly suggests that the research questions of

this project are highly relevant and valid. It seems possible that the current green roofing

products in the industry may not be as green as previously thought. This presents an

opportunity for a new product to come into prominence. This product should meet all of the

green criteria specified above by Malin, also have a long life cycle (possibly outlasting the

building itself), and be comparable in cost to the leading roofing materials on the market

(Malin, 2000). However, in the UK at least, the green building industry is regulated by

legislation exists that attempts to regulate the types of materials that are used when creating

environmentally friendly buildings. The Code for Sustainable Homes is a major area of

environmental policy that is supported by the Green Guide to Specification, an environmental

assessment method and comprehensive directory of green building products and systems.

Limitations of Existing Environmental Assessment Tools

As already suggested by McManus et alin their 2009 study, the Code for Sustainable Homes

may be flawed because it does not properly consider the full life cycles of the products

involved in achieving zero-carbon housing. Grace Ding (2007) offers a further discussion of

environmental assessment tools, examines their limitations and suggests a new approach. At

the beginning, Ding admits that creating a single environmental assessment method is no




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easy task (Ding, 2007, p.451). She goes on to present an in-depth analysis of environmental

assessment methods worldwide, a breadth that is beyond the scope of this project. However, it

will be interesting to briefly examine some of the limitations that she discovers, to see

whether they can be relevant to this analysis of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Ding

identifies that the primary role of a building assessment method is to provide a

comprehensive assessment of the environmental characteristics of a building using a common

and verifiable set of criteria and targets for building owners and designers to achieve higher

environmental standards (Ding, 2007, p.452). Ding goes on to suggest that, in general,

existing environmental assessment methods are limited in a number of ways that reduce their

effectiveness and usefulness (Ding, 2007). Ding suggests that the overall reason for these

limitations is that we still do not clearly understand the interactions between buildingconstruction and the environment (Ding, 2007, p.452). Additionally, Ding argues that current

assessment systems are too complex, that they involves large amounts of qualitative data that

cannot be easily measured, and that financial aspects of building projects are not

acknowledged in the evaluation framework. As a solution, Ding recommends that a multiple-

dimensional model of project appraisal should be used (Ding, 2007, p.452). She refers to a

previous study (Ding & Langston, 2002) that creates a sustainability index consisting of four

main criteria (Maximise wealth, maximise utility, minimise resources and minimise impact).

Minimise resources is particularly relevant to this project and refers to all inputs over the

full life cycle expressed in terms of energy (embodied and operational) (Ding, 2007, p.460).

Ding and Langston suggest that an environmental assessment method that used the four

criteria in tandem with a weighting system would be helpful to greatly simplify the

measurement of sustainable development (Ding, 2007, p.464) and make it easier to select

optimum design solutions (Ding, 2007, p.464). The work of Ding presents some useful

opinions supporting the research questions of this project and the views of the previous

authors. There is now a clear consensus throughout the literature that the concept of embodied

energy is extremely important. However, it seems that Dings work is a little simplistic, and

possibly does not examine the many worldwide environmental assessment systems in

adequate detail. Also, the paper was published in 2007, which was too early to include any

references to the Code for Sustainable Homes.




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Zero Carbon Homes in 2016

The Code for Sustainable Homes is closely linked to the UK zero-carbon domestic homes

target in 2016. Many UK builders agree that this is a challenging target with a range of

diverse barriers that will make it more difficult to reach. However, the overall opinion is that

the challenge is not impossible if certain conditions are met. Osmani and OReilly (2009)

examined this topic further by conducting a series of questionnaires with major players in the

UK building industry. Firstly, most of the respondents agree that the 2016 target is

exceptionally demanding. Secondly they point out that there are numerous legislative,

cultural, financial and technical barriers facing house builders to deliver zero-carbon homes in

England by 2016 (Osmani & OReilly, 2009, p.1917). However, the same group of housebuilders did concur that the challenges are not completely insurmountable. They believed that

if a swift, all-embracing and above all realistic strategy is adopted and implemented across

the supply chain (Osmani & OReilly, 2009, p.1917) English house builders could

successfully deliver the required zero-carbon homes by 2016.

The respondents pointed out an issue with the perceived reliability of green construction

technologies. Renewable and environmentally friendly methods are often seen as detrimental

to profit, outside space and aesthetics (Osmani & OReilly, 2009, p.1919). However, it is

unclear whether this includes building materials or refers to more visible technologies such as

solar panels, which may indeed be problematic in the above-mentioned ways. Respondents

also identified issues with cost, citing what they viewed as the higher perceived costs of

sustainable building materials. At least as far as building materials are concerned, and

supporting the issues already discussed in the work of Malin, this can be mitigated by paying

attention to the full life cycle of products and not just the initial cost. A product that requires

less maintenance over the lifecycle of the building will work out more cost-effective,

especially if it also increased the performance of the building (Malin, 2000).

75% of respondents identified legislation as a barrier to achieving zero-carbon, stating that it

was unclear (Osmani & OReilly, 2009, p.1920). Some respondents stated that if clarity was

still lacking by the time the Code for Sustainable Homes became compulsory, they would




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prefer not to build zero-carbon homes but instead to absorb the extra cost of non-compliance

fines.

Concluding Comments

The literature examined in this review covered themes ranging from the broad to the specific.

Firstly, clear definitions of sustainability and environmentally preferable were presented,

which was helpful to provide further clarity. Several themes received a high degree of

consensus throughout the entire body of literature, which strongly suggests that they are

worthy of further investigation. These were as follows: the importance of considering the

quality and full life cycle of building materials, the key role of embodied energy, and the

possibility that current assessment tools may have certain limitations. This implies that there

is a need to examine the quality and life cycle of building materials, specifically those

designed for flat roofing applications. Also it will be important to consider the topic of

embodied energy more thoroughly, and in light of the eventual findings, make some

suggestions regarding the effectiveness of the current method of assessing green buildings

(The Code for Sustainable Homes and BREs Green Guide to Specification).

3 Legislation Discussion

Introduction




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The methodology for this project will consist of three parts. Firstly, an examination of UK

government policy, specifically The Climate Change Act 2008, The Low Carbon Transition

Plan, and the Code for Sustainable Homes. The goal is firstly to identify which parts of the

legislation can be relevant to RoofKrete, and secondly to identify the criteria for an

environmentally friendly building product. Finally some predictions will be made regarding

the effect of future developments in legislation on the business opportunities of Krete Sustain

Systems Ltd. The second part of the methodology consists of a series of questionnaires sent to

UK architects. This research tool will collect and assess their views on the CSH, the future of

green flat roofing, and the importance of embodied energy. Finally, RoofKrete will be

compared to its main competitors in the UK flat roofing market.

The Climate Change Act 2008

An Act to set a target for the year 2050 for the reduction of targeted greenhouse gas

emissions; to provide for a system of carbon budgeting; to establish a Committee on Climate

Change; to confer powers to establish trading schemes for the purpose of limiting greenhouse

gas emissions or encouraging activities that reduce such emissions or remove greenhouse gas

from the atmosphere; to make provision about adaptation to climate change; to confer powers

to make schemes for providing financial incentives to produce less domestic waste and to

recycle more of what is produced; to make provision about the collection of household waste;

to confer powers to make provision about charging for single use carrier bags; to amend the

provisions of the Energy Act 2004 about renewable transport fuel obligations; to make

provision about carbon emissions reduction targets; to make other provision about climate

change; and for connected purposes.

The target for 2050:

(1) It is the duty of the Secretary of State to ensure that the net UK carbon account for the

year 2050 is at least 80% lower than the 1990 baseline.




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(2) The 1990 baseline means the aggregate amount of

(a) Net UK emissions of carbon dioxide for that year, and

(b) Net UK emissions of each of the other targeted greenhouse gases for the year that is the

base year for that gas. (The Climate Change Act, 2008)

The text of the Climate Change Act 2008 shows that limiting greenhouse gas emissions will

be important, as will recycling and the disposal of waste, and carbon reduction targets. The

response to the Climate Change Act 2008 identifies how various industry sectors in the UK,

and the general public, can work together to achieve this goal.

The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan

This document is a response to the directions set out in the Climate Change Act 2008. It

presents a detailed report of the UK governments plan for meeting national carbon reduction

targets. Due to the passing of the Climate Change Act 2008, the UK is now the only country

in the world to have legally binding carbon reduction targets. Specifically, the goal is to cut

national carbon emissions by 34% by 2020, and at least 80% by 2050. This ambitious plan

will require people to make major changes in how they live and work. The government plans

to make extensive investments in green technology, such as renewable and efficient energy

sources; nuclear, solar and wind power. The proposed changes will affect every area of

society, so introduction must be carefully monitored and guided, and encouraged by use of

incentives. To make the governments plan successful, people must become more educated in

sustainability. For example, builders will learn to build in a way which saves energy (The

UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, 2009). Using a sustainable waterproofing membrane on flat

roofs and balconies will be one way to help achieve this.

Greenhouse gas emissions from the UKs homes constitute 13% of the countrys overall total.

Improvements on 2008 levels have already been made, but by 2050 all homes are expected to

have reached an emission level of practically zero (The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan,

2009).




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Requiring new-build homes to be built to high environmental standards, reaching zero

carbon homes from 2016 (The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, Chapter 4, p.81).

Progress towards the zero carbon standard will be made through progressive tightening of

the Building Regulations. The Government recently set out proposals for the first step of 25%

improvement in 2010 (The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, Chapter 4, p.94).

Building zero carbon homes will require substantial change on the part of house builders and

their suppliers (The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, Chapter 4, p.95).

The government has started the change process well in advance in order to give the building

industry enough time to adapt to the new frameworks and methods they need to start building

in a way that is more environmentally friendly. The government has also defined a series ofsteps that will clearly guide along the path to achieving the regulatory challenges. The Low

Carbon Transition Plan acknowledges that, The alternative to meeting our carbon budgets is

not a low cost, high carbon future, but a high cost high carbon future (The UK Low Carbon

Transition Plan, Chapter 4, p.99).

It is clear that cost is an important concern for everyone involved in this transition. The

government needs to offer a range of incentives to reward people for adapting to the changes,

especially for those on lower incomes. The Transition Plan strongly states the governments

commitment to help everyone achieve the goals, and explains that they will design carbon

reduction policies to minimise costs, and offer subsidies where they are most needed. To be

widely adopted and hence successful, this ambitious plan needs to be affordable for British

people on all levels of the socio-economic scale.

The Code for Sustainable Homes

Introduction

The Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code) was introduced in April 2007 in England, and is

a voluntary standard aimed at improving the overall sustainability of British homes. It aims to

set a single clear framework where builders can construct homes to a higher environmental




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standard (Communities & Local Government). Mandatory Code ratings were introduced in

May 2008, and now every new home must include a Code rating, although it is still possible

to have a statement of non-assessment. (Communities & Local Government) In order to

obtain a Code rating, houses are assessed by trained and licensed examiners who then award

the building a rating of one to six, based on its overall performance against a set of nine

environmental categories. The Code is closely linked to national building regulations, which

are the minimum standards required by law. The Code has been set to exceed these standards,

and hence provides an indication of the future direction of the house-building industry in

regards to environmental issues.

This section presents a more in-depth examination of Code categories, to decide which are

more relevant to RoofKrete, and how they might affect the future choices that architectsmake.

Categories of the Code for Sustainable Homes

Category 3 Materials part A

Aim: to encourage the use of materials with lower environmental impacts over their lifecycle

(CSH Technical Guide, 2007, p.89).

The production, use and disposal of building materials constitute significant use of energy and

resources both in the UK and abroad (Communities & Local Government, 2010). For flat

roofing, the most highly relevant section of the Code is Category 3 (Materials), which is

worth a significant amount of credits (15) and contains mandatory elements. In the listed

criteria for category 3 part A, roof is one of the stated at least three of the five key elements

that should achieve a relevant Green Guide rating of A+ to D (CSH Technical Guide, 2007,

p.89). The Green Guide to Specification is a key part of the Code, and is the nationally

recommended source of information for specifiers. The aim of the Green Guide is to aid

specifiers in considering the environmental implications of their choices (CSH Technical

Guide, 2007, p.89). The Green Guide uses a life cycle assessment method to measure the




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environmental impacts of building materials from cradle to grave. It rates materials and

components on a scale from A+ to E, with products scoring A+ having the lowest impact on

the environment. A+ scoring roofing products will be the most frequently chosen by architects

wishing to specify roofing for a sustainable building.

Category 3 Materials part B

Aim: To recognise and encourage the specification of responsibly sourced materials for the

basic building elements (Communities & Local Government, 2010).

Responsible sourcing of materials is based on the fundamental principle of life cyclestewardship, which is at the heart of the Brundtland definition of sustainability as

development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs (Communities & Local Government, 2010).

This statement in the Code means that, in future, specifiers need to consider the

environmental impacts of using materials not just on the roof itself, but all the way from

mining/harvesting to production through to disposal as waste. (Communities & Local

Government, 2010). This is very significant for RoofKrete and its competitors, because the

products that are proven the most sustainable are more likely to become the future market

leaders in a sustainable build, low-carbon UK.

The Green Guide to Specification

For the purposes of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the Green Guide from BRE is the

definitive rating system for all possible materials that might be used on a new build.

Currently, the highest scorers include materials such as bitumen, PVC and mastic asphalt.

High scorers will naturally be first choice for architects who wish to specify materials for a

low-carbon building. The fact that bitumen, PVC and mastic asphalt all score A+ in the Green

Guide suggests that BRE have so far failed to properly acknowledge the concept of embodied

energy in building materials. As Bjorn Berge pointed out only a year ago, this is quite a new




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perspective and it is not yet being recognised by the majority of todays decision makers

(Berge, 2009, p.19). When decision makers finally do acknowledge the importance of full

lifecycle embodied energy of materials, the Green Guide to Specification is likely to undergo

some changes. These will be discussed in greater detail in a later chapter.

Concluding Comments

From this examination of category 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, it is clear that two

main aspects of building materials are the most important: low life cycle impact, and

responsible sourcing of materials. The former refers to the embodied energy of a material

over its complete life cycle (from cradle to grave), and the latter refers to the use of materials

that are sustainable, and sourcing them using the least environmentally damaging means

possible.

4 Primary Research

Introduction

Choice of research methodology

It was decided that primary research was required as opposed to purely studying the research

of others, as this project is aiming to produce new perspectives on a current issue on which

previous empirical studies seem rather limited. For the primary research, two different

methods were considered before settling on the final choice. The advantages and drawbacks

of in-person interviews and questionnaires were weighed up to assess their suitability for the

project. In-person interviews have the advantage of being highly flexible and having greater

clarity, because the researcher can ensure that the respondents fully understand each question




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by explaining it to them. In-person interviewing also helps build rapport, which is likely to

encourage better responses. However, the respondents were widely dispersed around the

country, and constraints of time and budget meant that interviews were finally discarded in

favour of questionnaires conducted by email. It was anticipated that architects would be more

likely to reply and cooperate with a less time-consuming research method. It was decided that

a questionnaire sent and returned by email would be the most convenient way of collecting

the required data. Questionnaires usually fall into the category of quantitative research

methods, although the inclusion of qualitative open-ended questions is commonly done and

allows respondents a chance to express their opinions more freely. The main drawbacks with

qualitative research are greater ambiguity and difficulty in analysing the results, and the risk

that the researcher will impose too much of their own bias on the results during analysis. Itwas decided to construct a questionnaire containing a mixture of open and closed-ended

questions.

The questionnaire was designed so that it could be completed in less than 10 minutes. This

was deemed necessary to further encourage the respondents to give answers. It was important

that each question should be worded in a clear and straightforward manner, in order to

minimise the risk of ambiguity. The questions were prepared in collaboration with the

managing director of Krete Sustain Systems Ltd, who had enough industry and product

knowledge to help make sure that each question was clear enough to make sense to architects.

The questionnaire consisted of 10 questions: 7 closed-ended and 3 open-ended. The closed-

ended questions were included in order to gather an overall background picture of the

respondents approach to green building, to find out which products they had specified in the

past, which information sources they most frequently used, and which factors they considered

most important for an environmentally friendly building material. For ease of analysis, the

questions asked respondents to select from a list of answers, but also gave them the option to

select other and specify their own response. This ensured that the research tool did not

overly constrain respondents into a framework imposed by the researcher. The final questions

in the survey were open-ended and allowed the respondents to give their opinion freely. It was

considered that the small number of three open-ended questions would not be overly complex




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or time-consuming to analyse, but would add a useful angle to the research by giving

respondents the chance to express their own opinions.

Reliability and validity are important issues to consider when conducting empirical research.

Reliability refers to the degree of consistency with which instances are assigned to the same

category by different observers, or by the same observer on different occasions (Cano, 2010).

Validity is the extent to which the research tool is appropriate for generating the data required.

The target group of respondents were taken from a database of architects provided by Krete

Sustain Systems Ltd. These architects had previously been in contact with the company and

therefore it could be guaranteed that they already had a certain level of knowledge aboutsustainable building, which would enable them to give more meaningful responses. In the aim

of receiving a reasonably sized sample, fifty surveys were sent out by email.

Presentation of Survey Results

15 respondents returned the survey.

Figure 1: Question 1 - Approximately what percentage of your previous projects has required you to

specify sustainable building materials?




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Figure 2 Questions 2-5




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Figure 3: Question 6 - Which of the following information sources do you use when selecting building

materials? (Please select all that apply)

Figure 4 - Question 7

Apart from embodied energy, which of the following factors do you consider to be important for

sustainable building materials? (Please select all that apply)




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Figure 5: Question 9 Have you ever specified a green roof? If so, what type of material did you specify

to be placed underneath it?

Discussion of Results

Over half of the respondents had specified sustainable building materials for 50-100% of their

previous projects. This indicates that this response group should be fairly knowledgeable

about the topic and should be able to offer some insightful opinions.

75% of the respondents have previously heard of RoofKrete, although only one respondent

had specified it. This could be as a result of recent increased marketing efforts by Krete

Sustain Systems Ltd, or of informal discussions on green building online forums. All but one

of the respondents had heard of embodied energy, and 8 people had specifically considered it

when choosing materials for previous projects.

The Green Guide to Specification from BREAAM was the most commonly used reference

source, selected by 10 respondents. 2 respondents each identified the Green Book Live and

the Green Building Bible. This result is not surprising, because the Green Guide is the

standard national assessment method and information source, which is also closely linked to




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