18 SOME LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES USINGWOOD, METAL OR CONCRETE To achieve good thermal performance, lightweight construction materials must include insulation (glass wool, stone wool, wood fiber, etc.) to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures, reduce heating and air‑conditioning requirements and cut energy consumption. In terms of energy, the advantage of wood construction lies in the reduction of heat loss resulting from thermal bridges in the structure. Wood construction is popular in many countries in North America and northern Europe. In these areas, wood is an affordable and readily available resource, and forest management has ensured the sustainability of the solutions used. Another popular lightweight construction technique is Light Gauge Steel Framing (LGSF), which is prefabricated off-site, then easily transported and quickly assembled, saving time and money over the entire project. This offers many environmental advantages. As LGSF is often made from recycled materials, construction projects do not require the production of new steel. And, at the building’s end of life, the same steel can be recycled again, promoting circularity and waste reduction. Concrete also has a role to play in lightweight construction. While it is often disparaged, there are now solutions to make it more compatible with the requirement (1) In the structure and envelope of the building over the entire life cycle of materials. (2) Productivity gain at certain stages of construction (pouring screed, erecting walls or facades, etc.). for decarbonization. The incorporation of materials to replace cement (a major factor in concrete emissions) has resulted in ultra-low-carbon concretes that meet the requirements for sustainable construction. BENEFITS OF LIGHT CONSTRUCTION Up to –50% embodied carbon(1) Up to 50% lighter than conventional construction Up to –50% in raw materials Up to 20 to 70% productivity gain(2) SPoTLIGHT
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