Sustainable Building Materials for the Prevention of Corrosion

Billions of dollars are spent each year in the construction, operation, and maintenance of military facilities. Directives have come from the highest Commands to make our military installations more “sustainable.” Sustainable facilities can equate to reduced wastes (use of products with a recycled content), extended service life (more durable, reduced degradation), operational cost savings (more efficient energy usage), reduced costs for initial installation, reduced lifecycle costs, and increased quality of life. Many sustainable building products and systems are now available that can be used in place of the more traditional material systems but which are more resistant to corrosion and materials degradation than the traditional materials for the same applications. Yet the use of these sustainable alternative materials is limited typically because to the lack of awareness of their availability and/or knowledge of the potential benefits that they might offer. This paper describes some of these available sustainable materials and material systems and the potential cost savings and increased operational reliability they can offer in applications ranging from barracks and office space for the soldier in garrison to bridges and lines of communication in theater.