Speaking last month at the International Conference on Building Materials in Hanoi, Nguyen Tran Nam, Chairman of the Vietnam Real Estate Association, said that each year Vietnam’s population increases by about one million people. As urbanization accelerates, people prefer to buy and own houses. The dramatic development of the tourism industry also spawns construction of accommodations, resorts and related facilities.
However, Dr. Le Trung Thanh, Director of the Vietnam Institute for Building Materials, said that given the increasing demand of the real estate market, the application of science and technology is vital to minimize the use of natural mineral resources and optimize that of industrial by-products, save energy, and protect the environment. This is particularly essential since Vietnam is one of the world’s largest producers of building materials.
For example, the production of one billion burnt bricks using the standard process requires 1.5 million cubic meters of clay and 150,000 tonnes of coal, emitting about 0.57 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). With the increasing consumption of burnt bricks, an estimated 42 billion burnt bricks will be used by 2020, which will consume nearly 60 million cubic meters of clay; 5.6 million tonnes of coal and emit about 17 million tonnes of CO2.
Alternatively, using unburnt bricks will help significantly reduce the pressure on the environment. For example, the Autoclaved Cellular Concrete (ACC), or lightweight concrete bricks are considered a suitable replacement being 30 to 50 percent lighter than burnt bricks and accounting for 25 percent of the weight of conventional concrete bricks. They also have good sound and thermal insulation properties. Construction using ACC can save up to 40 percent of electricity consumed by air conditioners. In addition, NITTO tape, a waterproofing material of the HI-PEC Petrochemical Company, and CSSB concrete additive technology - Miclayco technology of Red Sail Trading Joint Stock Company are also rated as environmentally-friendly products, helping protect users’ health.
Environmentally-friendly building materials were showcased at the Vietbuild Hanoi International Exhibition on Construction held from November 27 to December 1, 2019 in Hanoi. The event featured 1,600 stalls by domestic and foreign firms, showcasing updated construction sector products including environmentally-friendly building and interior, exterior decoration materials which meet the growing demands for housing, construction and decoration. The exhibition served as a venue for displaying the latest construction trends.
