Relative Worth of Construction Materials
- 3 = very desirable, flawless
- 2 = desirable, few shortcomings
- 1 = marginally desirable, some shortcomings
- 0 = undesirable, considerable shortcomings
- – = not applicable, no scientific data available
| Criteria | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | Score |
| Timber (solid wood) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Earth (clay) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Straw (natural fibers) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2.9 |
| Stone | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 2.5 |
| Lime mortar/plaster | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | – | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 2.5 |
| Brick (fired) | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | – | 2.3 |
| OSB/Plywood/Particle Board | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – | 2.0 |
| Glass | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | – | 1.0 |
| Fiberglass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | – | 1 | 0 | 2 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.9 |
| Polystyrene | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.9 |
| Concrete (reinforced with steel) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.8 |
| PVC products | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0.6 |
| Synthetic glue | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0.5 |
| Vapor barrier (foil or plastic) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 0.3 |
- A = Natural origin
- B = Biological/ecological health
- C = Resource renewability
- D = Embodied energy
- E = Radioactivity
- F = Electrical properties
- G = Thermal properties
- H = Acoustic properties
- I = Natural radiation permeability
- K = Diffusivity/breathability
- L = Hygroscopicity
- M = Moisture content/drying potential
- N = Absorption/regeneration
- O = Toxic vapors/gases
- P = Odor
- Q = Biological stress
What do these scores mean?
The higher the score, the more environmentally friendly and greater the health-promoting benefits for the construction material under consideration.
What are the Bau-Biologie recommendations?
Timber, earth, and straw have the highest relative worth and are, therefore, the construction materials of choice. These materials support all of the Bau-Biologie Top-10 Design Guidelines.
Other, more conventional construction materials should only be selected when practical alternatives do not exist or are unavailable. Under these circumstances, the implications of the selection should be understood and any risks mitigated.