Council website highlights chemistry in building and construction materials

Sources: American Chemistry Council, Washington, D.C.; CP staff

The American Chemistry Council (ACC) has launched www.BuildingWithChemistry.org to inform architects, specifiers, interior designers and other building and construction professionals about green building codes and standards; materials selection; and, the role of chemistry in developing innovative, sustainable solutions.

“Many of the materials and products used to build the homes, schools and office buildings where we live and work every day rely on the safety, energy savings, durability and other sustainability and performance benefits that the products of chemistry provide,” says Covestro Director of Advocacy and Sustainability Richard Skorpenske, chair of ACC’s Building and Construction Subcommittee. “We created this new website to contribute to thoughtful, informed decisions about the materials in today’s innovative, modern and sustainable building applications.”

The site includes an interactive, mixed-use residential building graphic highlighting how chemical ingredients are used in materials. Individual pages feature specific chemicals and their functionality in a range of applications. The increased popularity of green building design has given rise to a variety of approaches to guide architects, designers, materials specifiers and builders in how to build “green.” A “Green Building” section provides an overview of commonly used standards, codes, certification systems and assessment tools, as well as examples of green building approaches by building type.

In addition, a subpage on “Materials Selection” highlights different approaches specifiers, architects and designers can consider when choosing materials and products to use in building design and construction, taking into account factors such as a product’s sustainability, durability and carbon footprint. The section includes information on specific tools to help inform materials selection decisions: life cycle approaches, Environmental Product Declarations, risk assessment and multi-attribute considerations. Rounding out site features is a news page addressing energy efficiency, innovations, product safety and other timely topics. — www.americanchemistry.com

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