The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is one of the leading environmental assessment methods for buildings in the UK. BRE has been developing assessment methods since its conception over 80 years ago. The BREEAM suite of products has grown over recent years to address specific aspects of different building types; as such there are now BREEAM scheme buildings for courts, education, industry, healthcare, offices, retail and prisons.
A typical BREEAM manual covers nine sections which include management, energy, water, materials and pollution amongst others. Design stage and post construction stage assessments are available. BREEAM can also be applied to various types of building construction including whole new build, major refurbishments as well as new build extensions of existing buildings.
Construction products certified against the BRE BES 6001 standard are awarded different tiers and therefore points depending on the certification level achieved. Aggregate Industries provides products across the range of major building elements as outlined in the BREEAM manual. We also manufactures a range of products that have been given their own ‘Green Guide’ rating and can therefore contribute to additional points being awarded in other parts of the materials section within the BREEAM manual.
The updates to Building Regulations and BREEAM 2011 focus more on fabric efficiency. These updates present an opportunity to promote our concrete products on their merits of thermal mass. Energy efficiency is considered over the lifetime of a building and therefore materials like concrete are seen in a different light. This is an advantage for a construction material that has arisen directly as a result of climate change impacts (this property of concrete has been acknowledged for decades but the drivers were not there).
Further information can be obtained at http://www.breeam.org