Sustainable Materials for Resistant Materials

1. Sustainable Materials for Resistant Materials Lesson objective – to understand how to think of materials in terms of sustainability

2. It will not only be just as effective, more individual and visually interesting, it will also be cheaper! • Use jointed timbers, whenever possible • - Timber can be joined on its ends by finger-joints and metal nail-plates, or on its width, by glue-laminating. • Be aware that composite beams are more often than not stronger than timber • - They also use less timber in acquiring their strength than clear grade timber beams. • Buy timber from (smaller) sawmillers who can demonstrate a commitment to optimising wood-recovery during milling • - ie, by radial sawing, band-sawing, laser sawing, portable milling, etc. Timber - • Some Suggestions for a New Approach to Timber Use: • Think about whether you really need to use new timber • - Would a secondhand material suffice? • Use the lowest grade and smallest-sized pieces of timber appropriate for the job • - The common practice of ordering full lengths and then cutting them up into small pieces makes no environmental sense at all. • Do not throw out offcuts • - Put them aside and use them on the next job. • Use standard and utility appearance-grade timber, rather than select-grade • - Particularly if the surface is going to be painted or otherwise hidden. • Do not ask for blemish-free timber (clear-grade) and do not insist on stringent colour-matching specifications • - This leads to increased wastage and downgrading of timber to lower-value applications. • Consider using furniture made from knotty, or 'feature-grade' timber

3. Ways to Make Your Home or Workplace More Energy-efficient • Construct an entry 'airlock'. • Close off the staircase from downstairs rooms to avoid upward heat loss. • Create doorways between living/working areas, and sleeping/washing areas, etc - so only the living space is heated. • Use a fuel-efficient wood burner (make sure the chimney/flue is sealed off from the room). • Place a maximum number of windows on the north side of the building - minimise glassed areas on other sides. • Use double glazing, low-E glass, or drapes - with pelmet designed to prevent convection movement adjacent to windows. • Create passive heat storage - place thermal mass elements in sunny spaces (eg, masonry or water). • Use roof/wall/floor insulation.

4. www.design-technology.info/resistantmaterials/ • This site has many helpful data sheets to help you draw up your coursework PowerPoint Flow diagram help notes

6. Planning sheet