ABSTRACT
This chapter first outlines the general approaches of the construction industry for the sustainable use of materials, with some specific examples mostly from the United Kingdom. It discusses the sustainability issues relating to the main construction materials. The chapter then focuses on aggregates since they are used in large quantities in both an unbound state and when bound in concrete, bituminous materials and masonry construction. Aggregates are used throughout construction in quantities significantly greater than any other material. Aggregates can be divided into three main types depending on their source: primary; secondary; and recycled. The chapter discusses the information on many of the properties of the materials that is important in an life-cycle assessment (LCA), particularly those relating to durability and maintenance during service, but further essential information is the embodied energy (EE) and the embodied carbon (EC) content of materials.
