Masonry Magazine April 2008 Page. 33
Photographer Raja Re Agency: Dreamstime.com
Brick homes lower heating and cooling costs by up to 8 percent when compared to homes clad in vinyl.
Additionally, brick not only can be manufactured to contain post-industrial recycled content, but also it is highly recyclable. With areas like Chicago that now require 50 percent of construction and demolition waste to be recycled for building permits issued in 2008, a material's ability to be recycled will certainly come in as a major factor for builders and owners.
Currently, brick structures can potentially receive LEED points for storm water management, energy performance, reuse and waste management, use of regional materials and heat island effect reduction.
Brick not only can be manufactured to contain post-industrial recycled content, but also it is highly recyclable.
A push to include a "durability" category that would include lifecycle assessment exists, which would also go far to separate brick from other materials in the eyes of LEED architects and other green aficionados.
"When you look at the long life of a building, such as with lifecycle assessment, masonry starts to play a bigger role," Kelly says. "If you look back into history, masonry has been around for thousands of years, and that's very important to sustainability.
"I believe the LEED focus is going to change a bit toward lifecycle assessment, and that will favor masonry materials, such as brick," he says.
Strength and versatility
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