by Stone Federation Great Britain

The Construction Leadership Council (CLC), of which Stone Federation Great Britain is a constituent, has produced a ‘Roadmap to Recovery’, which is a strategy to drive the recovery of the construction industry and the built environment, and through them the wider UK economy, as we come to terms with the Covid19 pandemic.

The Roadmap has three phases and embedded in them are the CLC’s key objectives, which involve driving a 33% reduction in lifetime costs of buildings and a 50% reduction in delivery times through improved productivity. The aim is for the industry to deliver better outcomes over the lifecycle of built assets for clients and increase the profitability and sustainability of firms in the industry.

One of the key factors in achieving this improvement will be the choice of materials used.

There is an ever-increasing number of studies and project examples showing how the use of natural stone has reduced the embodied carbon of the structure by as much as 90% compared with the steel or concrete alternatives that could have been used.

The whole-life carbon value of a project includes both embodied carbon and operational (in-use) carbon. It includes material extraction or creation and transport as well as lifetime emissions from maintenance, repair, replacement and, eventually, disposal of the materials.

There are two main reasons why natural stone performs so well: minimal carbon in the extraction / processing of it and its durability.

Extraction

Natural stone is removed from the quarry face, moved to a processing works (sometimes on the same site) where it is cut to the required size and then transported to site. Compare that with the temperatures of more than 1,000˚C required to combine the elements needed to create the cement used in concrete and the tonne (approximately) of CO2 added to the air for every tonne of cement produced, and you can see why stone truly is the most environmentally conscious choice. One study said if the concrete industry were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest carbon emitter behind China and the USA.

Durability

The durability of natural stone is another key factor in its ability to help deliver the Construction Leadership Council’s aim of reducing lifetime costs. You only need to look at buildings like St Paul’s Cathedral, Edinburgh Castle or Stonehenge to see proof of stone’s durability. Even in more modern construction, approaches such as retained façades are only possible because the stone exterior often outlasts the less durable materials and structures used inside the building.

Natural stone is millions of years old and has been formed by immense geological forces. It is no wonder it is so strong. And its ability to last means it also delivers sustainability in its potential to be re-used. Local authorities are increasingly engaging with the carbon savings gained by specifying reclaimed stone paving for town and city centres – and, unlike concrete, many find the look of weathered stone a desirable feature of its own.

In short, specifying natural stone means contractors, clients, developers and architects can build in line with the Construction Leadership Council’s Roadmap to Recovery and be part of the United Kingdom’s effort to deliver a more sustainable built environment.