TABLE OF CONTENTS - The Professional Green Building Council

Theme C: Education and Market Transformationedges. AAC blocks are usually cut with a handsaw while an electrical cuttingmachine is preferred for cutting the pumice blocks. Half pumice blocks areproduced for using at corners/sides which makes the wall to be built easier bysaving working time and effort. Unavoidable material breakage and losses eitherduring unloading from the vehicle, storage or construction of the masonry wall aretreated as waste.The transportation of masons to the construction site may be mentioned but thisand the use of hand tools and smaller machines can be neglected in theenvironmental assessment, due to their very low impact on total energy use.4. CONCLUSIONEnergy and resource consumption and associated environmental impact as a resultof raw materials acquisition, manufacturing and transportation of buildingmaterials and products are examined when assessing environmental performanceof building products. From a sustainability point of view, the world reservesincluding non-renewable mineral resources are increasingly consumed inconstruction sector and the natural state of the landscape is destroyed leaving backa permanent change.After pumice extraction, there is the opportunity to use these lands for plantingvegetables by replacing the overburden top soil. In the rented quarries of theinvestigated factory, this option is frequently preferred by the land owners.However, quarry lands owned by the manufacturer are sometimes left without anyrehabilitation.Pumice concrete being produced as hollow blocks, and AAC being expanded involume as a result of generated pores, both save material and thus give less harm tonatural resources. Despite their contribution to energy efficiency (with their lowthermal conductivity) during the operation (use) phase of buildings, extendeddurability and service life of these products gain importance in reducing the652