Here's something I saw the other day in Tainan City: A wall being built using recycled old bricks to provide bulk, and cut down on the amount of concrete needed. It's nothing new, but it's better than the empty oil cans which have been used in some buildings in Taiwan (including some which fell down in the 9-21 Earthquake).I wonder if the bricks came from the original wall on this site, or were trucked in a significant distance?
Just as some people are trying to cut down their food miles, others now care about construction-material miles. However, the building that has been acclaimed as Taiwan's greenest, Beitou Library in Taipei City, is made largely of wood imported from North America. Also, it lacks racks where cyclists can lock up their bikes.
2 comments:
I have heard that sometimes shredded bamboo is used in Asia as a concrete additive.
Interesting! Never heard that before. I'm told quite of bit of concrete is recycled here, but it's got to be very energy intensive...
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