Materials - Metals
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Global Summary Building Summary Design Options Materials Stone Glass and Plaster Metals Earth Wood Strawbale Planted Roofs Ventilation Energy Savings Building Config. Room Layout Solar Orientaion Cooling/Heating Water Heaters Water Conservation Landscaping Rainwater Waste Water Readings Examples
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steel
zinc copper galvanised steel aluminium brass cast iron magnesium titanium
The mineral ores from which metals come from are nonrenewable resources
and their manufacture has a high embodied cost. Although almost half
the iron for steelmaking now comes from scrap and nearly a third of the
aluminium produced is recycled, the percentages need to be much higher.
Recycling saves energy to such an extent that secondary aluminium, for
example, consumes only 5% of the energy used to extract and process primary
ore. Many metals can be harmful if ingested in sufficiently high
concentrations. Steel beams and water-filled radiators and pipes
can disturb natural electromagnetic fields, while steel frames and metal
laths and decking as well as metal furniture and magnetised bedsprings
may cause adverse effects. Metal ducts used for space heating and
ventilation can also affect the ion balance of the air. Metal furniture
is inert and free from chemicals and resins and is often essential for
chemically sensitive and allergic people.
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