While many know that brick is a beautiful, durable material that lasts for a very long time, some may be unaware of just how advanced the brick industry is with respect green building design and sustainability. For example, it takes almost 70% less energy to make brick today than it did in 1970. More than 80% of brick kilns are fired with natural gas, and many facilities use fuels from bio-based materials from other applications, such as methane gas and sawdust. Brick is the first masonry material that can be certified for environmental claims from a third party source. Brick is also made from naturally abundant materials, and is one of the very few materials allowed by the building codes to be reused in new building applications.
The materials below showcase more details into the sustainable attributes of the brick industry.
These PDFs are provided by the BIA and more information can be found here.
Green Facts and Figures
Architects and Designers
- Brick for Sustainable & Green Building Design
- Brick Revisited: Just how GREEN is it?
- Certifying Brick for Green Building Rating Systems
- Clad In Green: Brick in an ‘Environmentally Preferable’ Context
- Recycled Content in Green Building Rating Systems – Certification and Credit
- Regional Materials in Green Building Rating Systems – Calculating Credit
- Sustainability and Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: Precast Concrete vs. Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: Metal Panels vs. Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: EIFS vs. Brick
Builders and Home Owners
- Beyond Brick and Mortar: The Green Issue
- Brick: Green Building Design and Sustainability
- Sustainable Attributes: Vinyl vs. Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: Manufactured Stone vs. Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: Fiber Cement vs. Brick
- Sustainable Attributes: Stucco vs. Brick
- The Bottom Line on Brick’s Role in Sustainability and Green Building Design
- Using Brick for Green Building Design and Sustainable Residences
