SUSTAINABILITY: MASONRY’S CORNER STONE OR STUMBLING BLOCK?

Resumo

Sustainability has become an essential part of the construction industry within the last decade. Manufacturers have changed products and production methods in response to this clarion call. Masonry materials exhibit many attributes that make them excellent choices based on sustainability criteria. These are expounded on by masonry material manufacturers and their associations, but do they match the opinions of others in the construction industry? A review of current statements and publications from masonry material manufacturers’ websites provides an idea of what the masonry industry thinks of the sustainability of its products. In addition, websites of national associations representing masonry materials were examined to determine how the masonry industry is responding to the desire for more sustainable materials and buildings. Authors of papers at the World Sustainable Building Conference (SB11 Helsinki) provide access to their viewpoint of masonry as a sustainable material. This third-party collection represents how other members of the design and building industry view masonry. Those two viewpoints do not always coincide. The masonry industry faces several challenges to maintain its preeminence as the provider of sustainable materials.