Development of sustainable alternative materials for the construction of green buildings using agricultural residues: A review

The development of the construction sector has created a deficit and constraints on natural building materials. The ecological impact of the construction material has been the subject of several investigations. About 40% of all CO2 emissions originate from the construction and use of buildings, 15% of which are associated with the production of construction materials. Therefore, it has been critical that the construction industry shift towards a greener approach to building construction. In addition, the excessive use of natural and river sand (likely used as fine aggregate in concrete) adversely affects environmental sustainability. In addition, the generation of agricultural residues/agro-waste imposes adverse ecological effects. Agro-waste is inevitably generated and burned after harvest to clean up the landfill. Agro-waste such as paddy husk, sugarcane, and red gram crops generate 10-15 times more than the actual products. Indeed, to meet the demand for building construction materials, it is preferably necessary to adopt native and eco-friendly alternate construction materials. Agro-waste has shown the perspective of sustainable alternative materials to be applied in building constructions. In this work, we have deliberated the various potential applications of agro-waste in building constructions. Also, we have conferred the evaluation of the physical, thermo-mechanical, methodological, and ecological impact. The application of agricultural wastes has been demonstrated to be a commercially viable technological solution for building construction materials that could ease the use of natural resources with energy safety.

Automated summary

The development of the construction sector has resulted in a shortage of natural building materials and raised concerns about the ecological impact of construction materials. About 40% of CO2 emissions come from building construction and use, with 15% attributed to the production of construction materials. Transitioning towards greener construction methods has become crucial. Overconsumption of natural and river sand has a negative impact on environmental sustainability. Additionally, agricultural residues and agro-waste generate adverse ecological effects. Using agro-waste as an alternative, sustainable construction material shows great potential. This study examines various applications of agro-waste in building construction and evaluates their physical, thermo-mechanical, methodological, and ecological impact. It demonstrates that utilizing agricultural waste as a commercially viable solution can reduce reliance on natural resources and promote energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.