Benchmarking water efficiency of architectural finishing materials based on a “cradle-to-gate” approach

Abstract

The global construction industry utilizes massive quantities of highly water-consuming materials. Choosing finishing materials of high embodied water results in a high initial level of water consumption in building construction.This paper summarizes the results of a comparative analysis for "Cradle-to-Gate" water demands of common finishing materials. The aim is to deepen the knowledge of water footprint for finishing materials, analysing possible alternatives and providing recommendations for selection decisions during either the rehabilitation or design of buildings.The study proves that the water footprint of finishing materials can be significantly reduced by promoting the use of the best water-efficient alternatives, concluding guidelines for manufacturers and architects. This would stimulate competition between manufacturers to adopt more standards to enhance the water footprints of their products, introducing water-efficient alternatives declared using either Eco-labels or Environmental Product Declarations.