Energy Content of Building Materials

• To: Multiple recipients of list FOREST <FOREST@LISTSERV.FUNET.FI>
• Subject: Energy Content of Building Materials
• From: Ryde.James@ANU.EDU.AU
• Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 16:08:20 +0000
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• Reply-To: FOREST Mailing list on forest research and studies <FOREST@LISTSERV.FUNET.FI>
• Sender: OWNER-FOREST@LISTSERV.FUNET.FI

In answer to a plea for facts and figures regarding energy use in the
manufacture of building materials from wood and alternatives; I thought
some may be interested in the following tables. They are from tables R10 &
R11 in Volume 2B of the "Forest and Timber Inquiry, Final Report". This was
published in March 1992 and was the final report of the Resource Assessment
Commission, a body set up by the Australian Parliament to inquire into
forest management in Australia. It is an official Government publication.

Material        Renewable       Recyclable      Biodegradable   Process Energy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Timber          yes             low%            yes             1 472 /1 800

Steel           no              26 /40 /70%     no              8 684 /13 200

Concrete        no              no              no              1 944/ 2 200

Plastics        no              50%             no              11 388/ 45 000

Aluminium       no              33%             no              27 000 (scrap)
                                                                91 000 (ore)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy is in kWh/tonne. More than one figure indicates two (or more)
sources of information presented to the inquiry. 7 sources of information
were quoted.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Energy comparison of a steel frame and a timber frame house
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Steel                   Timber

Weight                          5 tonnes                10.4 tonnes (13cu.m.)

Energy (kWh/tonne)              13 200                  1 800

Total Energy (kWh/tonne)        73 250                  18 720
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Those who wish to follow this up should email me directly (i.e. don't
clutter the list with 1 to 1 correspondence) and I will mail you a
photocopy of the reference list.

Regards, Ryde James




___________________________________________________________________________
   Dr. Ryde James,    Senior Lecturer, Department of Forestry.
                      Specialty, Plantation Forest Management


___________________________________________________________________________
  Tel:   (61+6)249-4330                  | Australian National University
  Fax:   (61+6)249-0746                  | Canberra, ACT 0200
  email: Ryde.james@anu.edu.au           | Australia
___________________________________________________________________________
  Convenor, Graduate Program, Resource Management and Environmental Science
___________________________________________________________________________

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