An assessment of construction details as indicators of the environmental impact of materials used on the “skin” in Greek cities

Abstract

PurposeConstruction materials mostly affect the environment during the first stages of their life cycle. Their placement during the construction stage is of equal importance as it affects their environmental impact during the stage of use and the final stage of demolition and rejection. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the environmental impact of different construction details, which are typically used for different city surfaces in Greece.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis of the environmental impact of construction details is both quantitative and qualitative. The quantitative analysis is mainly based on embodied energy calculations of different possibilities of placement. The qualitative analysis of the different construction details considers other environmental issues, such as the water cycle in cities and the possibility of reuse and recycling, which are strongly influenced by the way materials are attached to the building shell or general substrate. All the data are gathered from bibliographical sources.FindingsFor urban open spaces and flat roofed buildings, the placement of various materials with and without the use of cement‐based mortars reveals significant differences in the environmental impact. The same applies to building façades with the current construction (cement‐based mortars or synthetic resins) compared to the ventilated façade system.Practical implicationsArchitects and designers can use the methodology and the findings of this study in order to carefully design the construction details of building façades and flat roofs, and urban open spaces.Originality/valueThe study points out the significance of the construction stage in the evaluation of the environmental impact of materials in Greece, where there is extensive use of cement mortars and concrete in the construction of the paving of urban open spaces.