EcoBuilding Pulse: Latest Material + Products Articles

What's in Your Product?

Tue, 14 May 2013 01:46:16 EST

Profound changes are coming to the way the building industry discusses and specifies products, and communication and transparency are key drivers.

Industry Expert Sees EPDs as Next Step to Environmental Transparency

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:46 EST

Twenty years after he helped define life cycle assessments and the tools to use them, Wayne Trusty envisions the next frontier of sustainable product selection.

What’s the Value of an LCA?

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:46 EST

The tools for more sustainable products are in place, but they are only useful when builders communicate their value to homeowners and other decision-makers.

Integration and Resilience

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:40 EST

Products and Performance chairs Alex Wilson and Peter Yost envision high-performance products that respond to more stringent requirements and the need for resilient design.

Transparent Future

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:38 EST

Materials & Resources chair Malin discusses how transparency will permeate the world of building products, giving us nutrition-label-like sustainability data on everything we use.

Phase-Change Materials to Become More Cost Competitive

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:31 EST

The Space Age technology is poised to alter the insulation and thermal energy storage industries to significantly reduce building energy demand.

Building with Local and Alternative Materials

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:31 EST

Bruce King, founder of Ecological Building Network, says builders need to look beyond Portland cement and toward alternative materials like straw, hemp, and barbed wire.

A Look Ahead at Building Materials

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:27 EST

Bill Walsh envisions a healthier and more transparent tomorrow.

The Vision for Reuse

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:24 EST

How we can elevate building materials reuse and recycling into standard practice.

Dr. Aurora Sharrard Wants Your Building

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:20 EST

The Green Building Alliance in Pittsburgh is gathering data that will enable meaningful performance comparisons among buildings.

The Future of Hazardous Assessment

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:17 EST

GreenScreen tool is helping future-proof hazardous assessments by identifying safer alternatives.

Low-E Coatings Boost Window Performance

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:13 EST

Applying a low-E coating to an exposed glass surface takes another step toward higher levels of window efficiency.

Performance Test Standards Questioned for Insulated Glass

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:07 EST

A wider airspace between glass panes appears to boost the efficiency of windows in Europe, so why hasn't the U.S. followed suit?

Responsible Mining

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:35:06 EST

A mining standards framework helps bring responsible metal and mineral extraction into the raw materials conversation.

A Manufacturer's Perspective

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:58 EST

Executives at GAF talk about product transparency efforts and why all stakeholders need to be part of the dialogue.

Are Bio-Based Materials The Answer?

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:58 EST

Article in Environmental Building News, published by Vision 2020 Chair Alex Wilson, contends that using bio-based materials can also have undesirable environmental impacts.

SVOCs Present Hidden Dangers

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:46 EST

Flame retardants are just one of the many hazardous chemicals that may never be banned in the U.S.

An Introduction to HPDs

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:44 EST

Health Product Declarations address the health side of building products and materials.

LCA Comment Period

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:36 EST

Now ís your chance to comment on ANSIís draft standard for enhanced product declarations.

Where Comfort Lies

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 05:34:28 EST

The IBACOS Lab Home seeks to define comfort as a performance measure.