GLB: Combatting construction’s carbon footprint

With the aim of getting to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 the construction industry must make changes to the way it builds, from material choices to the process itself.

One company helping to hit those targets and safeguard the industry’s future is green building company Green Life Buildings (GLB).

Its advanced eco SIP building system uses prefabricated insulated panels enclosed in galvanised steel mesh with connectors which, once in position onsite, are sprayed with a structural fine concrete coat to provide unbeatable strength.

The SIP panels can form walls, floors, landings, roofs, stairs, and internal partitions can be curved to meet demanding architectural specifications and are quick and easy to build using on-site tools, meaning a single, family home can be constructed almost entirely from the material in just five-six weeks.

But with building more sustainably an increasing consideration for architects and developers alongside reducing build time and cost, GLB also offers the answer to sustainable construction and passive home design.

The systems embodied carbon is over 40% less than a traditional home at only 33kg CO2 per m2 compared to over 170kg for brick and block or brick and timber, and once constructed can reduce the occupants carbon footprint by up to 65% less when in use when compared to a traditional masonry and timber roofs.

The SIP panels provide less waste in design and production, and as just one truck is needed to distribute the material for one house, transporting is more economical and reduces the impact on global resources, resulting in a home’s whole-life carbon emissions, from its creation, maintenance, and use, being that much lower.

GLB can supply 700,000 square metres of panels a year from its factory, enough to build more than 3,000 average-sized family homes.