cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.26188/5da5574945e6e
title: EPiC database - Sand

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Sand is comprised of small particles of quartz (silica), feldspar and calcium carbonate from various forms of life that have been eroded down over thousands of years. It is strong, durable, chemically inert and has excellent drainage characteristics. <br><br>It is commonly extracted through open pit mining and is available in many different grades and levels of purity. Due to the extended period of time required to create sand, it is considered a non-renewable resource. <br><br>Sand can be used as a substrate for footings, pathways, and concrete slabs. It is also used as an additive in concrete, mortar, asphalt, and various exterior finishes. It is one of the primary materials used in the production of silicon for various construction products.
DOI: 10.26188/5da55582e7c62
title: EPiC database - Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Polyethylene (PE) is the most common plastic and is a thermoplastic polymer. It has low strength and rigidity but high impact strength and ductility and low friction. It is highly waterproof.<br><br>PE is produced by polymerising ethylene monomers using different catalysts (typically metal chlorides or metal oxides). Different densities can be obtained with different properties. Multiple additives are also used to obtain different grades and properties of PE. PE is thermoformed into moulds or extruded.<br><br>Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is cheaper than HDPE. LDPE films are usually used as vapour barriers, geomembranes and as general purpose membranes on site.
DOI: 10.25810/ns7n-vh24.10
title: African Newspaper Coverage of Climate Change or Global Warming, 2004-2020 - October 2020

description:         The Media and Climate Change Observatory Data monitors 120 sources (across newspapers, radio and TV) in 54 countries in seven different regions around the world. Data is assembled by accessing archives through the Lexis Nexis, Proquest and Factiva databases via the University of Colorado libraries. More information may be found at: http://mecco.colorado.edu.
DOI: 10.26188/5da557a8720ed
title: EPiC database - Solar hot water system

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Solar hot water systems are used as an alternative to more conventional electric or gas storage systems. They use energy from the sun to heat water that is used for a range of purposes within buildings.<br><br>The system consists of two flat plate collectors, a storage tank, and associated plumbing and electrical components, suitable for a one-family dwelling. The water is pumped from the storage tank to the collectors, where it is passed through thin tubes to be heated by direct solar radiation. Heated water is then stored in the storage tank until it is needed.<br><br>The flat plate collectors consist of an insulated steel absorber plate, encased in an aluminium frame and toughened glass. The storage tank is manufactured from steel and aluminium alloy and is insulated with polyurethane foam.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5586fec593
title: EPiC database - Structural insulated panel (SIP)

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Structural insulated panels, often referred to as SIPs, are a composite product containing an outer skin and inner core. As their name suggest, they are typically used as a structural element for low-rise buildings.<br><br>Outer layers of oriented strand board (OSB) are glued to an insulating core made from expanded polystyrene (EPS). The core gives the panels good thermal properties while the outer skins provide a durable, aesthetic finish. Alternative core materials, such as extruded polystyrene (XPS) or rigid polyurethane (PU) foam and outer skin materials, such as plywood or fibre cement sheet can also be used. <br><br>SIPs can be used as wall or roof panels and are mainly used in domestic construction. They are very lightweight and thus easy to move. The panels come in a range of thicknesses ranging from 100 to 300 mm. Typical panel dimensions are 300, 600, 900 and 1 200 mm wide and 2.4, 2.7 and 3 m long. Openings for windows and doors are cut out of panels during manufacture. Panels are connected onsite using splines with cavities cut into the core for electrical and plumbing services.
DOI: 10.26188/5da557baa95ce
title: EPiC database - Solvent-based paint

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Paint is used to protect surfaces from moisture, UV and wear. It can protective coating for timber, metals, plastics and plaster products. There are two main types of paint: water-based paint (including waterborne acrylics, and acrylic latex paints) and solvent-based paint (also known as alkyd or oil-based enamel paints).<br><br>Paint is produced by combining resin, solvents, pigment, and additives. Resins are used to bind together the ingredients. For solvent-based paint these include: dammar, mastic, copal and alkyd resin. Pigments are added to create colour and sheen, and can include calcium carbonate, talc, oxides and mica amongst others. Solvents such as mineral spirits or turpentine are used to dilute and thin the paint. Other additives are included to reduce drying time and give the paint particular properties. <br><br>Solvent-based paints are becoming less common, due to the high levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present. Paints with high levels of VOCs are toxic to the environment, have a harsh odour and can be dangerous to inhale. Solvent-based paints are cheaper and tougher than the water-based alternative, and are commonly used in high-traffic areas (although they are more susceptible to UV deterioration). They are more abrasion resistant and have a more brilliant gloss, with a smooth finish. They are difficult to clean, and require mineral turpentine, rather than water.
DOI: 10.26188/5da552ad307a9
title: EPiC database - Clay brick

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Clay bricks are widely used in the construction industry for their strength, affordability and ease of construction. They have high durability, weather and fire resistance, compressive strength, and good thermal/sound insulative properties. The strength of a brick wall is also largely dependent on the quality of the mortar and workmanship.<br><br>Bricks are made from clay, which is an abundant resource across most of the world. Clay is prepared and mixed to ensure consistent particle size and mineral content. The clay is then extruded, soft moulded or dry pressed into brick shaped forms. The bricks are dried in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, and fired in a high temperature oven/kiln. Coatings, glazing or textures are applied to give the brick its final appearance. The colour of a brick largely depends on the mineral content of the clay and final firing temperature. <br><br>Bricks are commonly used for external cladding, loadbearing walls, flooring, and other construction elements. Face bricks usually have a decorative or smooth finish, while building/common bricks are used for internal structure. Bricks can also be hollowed, to reduce the volume of the brick and materials needed per unit.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5514c0eea5
title: EPiC database - Concrete 50 MPa

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Concrete is a composite material combining sand or other fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, a binder and water. Portland cement is the most commonly used binder, however other binders, such as polymers, may also be used. Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) such as Fly Ash and Ground, Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), are also commonly used as a part replacement for Portland cement. Additives, such as plasticisers can be added to the mix to control concrete properties, such as workability. Concrete is usually combined with steel reinforcement to improve tensile strength.<br><br>Concrete is one of the most commonly used construction materials. It is highly durable and is thus typically used for structural elements in buildings and infrastructure projects. Concrete can be manufactured to meet a variety of strength grades. Concrete 50 MPa is commonly used in commercial and civil construction where high strength and durability are required. The mix will generally have a lower water to cement ratio than standard concrete.<br><br>
DOI: 10.26188/5da54a205d0e5
title: EPiC database - Concrete 20 MPa

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Concrete is a composite material combining sand or other fine aggregates, coarse aggregates, a binder and water. Portland cement is the most commonly used binder, however other binders, such as polymers, may also be used. Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) such as Fly Ash and Ground, Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GGBFS), are also commonly used as a part replacement for Portland cement. Additives, such as plasticisers can be added to the mix to control concrete properties, such as workability. Concrete is usually combined with steel reinforcement to improve tensile strength.<br><br>Concrete is one of the most commonly used construction materials. It is highly durable and is thus typically used for structural elements in buildings and infrastructure projects. Concrete can be manufactured to meet a variety of strength grades. Concrete 20 MPa is commonly used in domestic floor construction, garage floors and driveways, where the loads supported are lighter. The typical mix ratio is 1:1.5:3 (cement, sand, coarse aggregate).<br><br>
DOI: 10.26188/5da558259be14
title: EPiC database - Steel hollow section extruded

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Steel is a ferrous metal and is an alloy of iron and carbon, as well as potential other elements. It has a very high tensile strength. Steel has been used in the construction industry for over a century.<br><br>The core material for making steel is iron, which is found in iron ore. Iron is extracted from iron ore in blast furnaces through the smelting process, while controlling for the content of carbon. The molten steel is usually further processed before being extruded into hollow sections.<br><br>Hollow sections of steel are commonly used in the construction industry, mainly for structural purposes.
DOI: 10.26188/5da554545f280
title: EPiC database - Fibre cement sheet

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Fibre cement sheet is a non-structural material manufactured from Portland cement, cellulose fibres and water. Sheets come in standard sizes, generally 1800 to 3000 mm in length, 900 or 1200 mm wide and in thicknesses ranging from 4.5 mm to 24 mm. They can be easily cut to size on site. Thicker boards provide superior impact resistance while thinner boards are typically used in situations where impact resistance is not as crucial.<br><br>Thermal and acoustic performance is generally poor and additional insulation is usually needed when used as external cladding. However, it is termite and rot resistant and has very high fire resistance properties.<br><br>Fibre cement sheet is often used as a replacement for plasterboard, particularly in situations that are exposed to water (such as wet areas). It can be used for both residential and commercial buildings in a range of applications, including internal and external cladding, soffit linings and structural bracing.
DOI: 10.26188/5da555a381ad3
title: EPiC database - Linoleum

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Linoleum is a composite material used for floor covering or underlay that is durable and shock-absorbing.<br><br>Linoleum is made from a mixture of oxidised linseed oil, gums, resin and other additives, which are applied to a felt or canvas backing. The oil is heated in kettles, oxidises and increases in viscosity. It is blended with resin to produce a plastic material that is in turn mixed with wood flour. Additives are added and the mixture is calendered into a sheet and applied to the backing. The sheets are hardened before being sent to market.<br><br>Linoleum is used as a flooring material.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5559330846
title: EPiC database - Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) pipe

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Polyethylene (PE) is the most common plastic and is a thermoplastic polymer. It has low strength and rigidity buy high impact strength and ductility and low friction. It is highly waterproof.<br><br>PE is produced by polymerising ethylene monomers using different catalysts (typically metal chlorides or metal oxides). Different densities can be obtained with different properties. Multiple additives are also used to obtain different grades and properties of PE. PE is thermoformed into moulds or extruded.<br><br>Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is generally cheaper than HDPE. LDPE pipes are usually used for lower pressure systems and are typically smaller than HDPE pipes.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5556225c38
title: EPiC database - Laminated glass

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Laminated glass is a composite safety glass, made by combing two or more sheets of flat glass with a plastic, or polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer (usually 0.38 mm thick). The layers are bonded together using heat and pressure.<br><br>Flat glass is made from a combination of silica, soda, lime, dolomite and aluminium oxide. The raw materials are melted at high temperature and the molten glass is then formed into flat glass using a variety of processes. A floating process, where the molten glass is floated on a bed of tin, is most common for manufacturing window glass. The glass is then gradually cooled (annealed) and cut to size. <br><br>Laminated glass is commonly used for windows, glass doors and transparent walls, where there is an increased chance of damage, as when broken, the glass remains intact, held together by the PVB layer. It provides added safety, security, thermal and acoustic properties over flat glass. The glass comes in a range of thicknesses, starting from 6.38 mm.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5528023cab
title: EPiC database - Cellulose insulation

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Cellulose is an organic compound that constitutes the primary cell wall of green plants and is the most abundant polymer on Earth. Cellulose insulation has good thermal insulation properties (heat conductivity = 0.04 W/(m·K)). It also acts as sound insulation.<br><br>Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newspaper (75-85%) and from natural fire retardants and anti-fungal agents such as boric acid (15-25%). Newspapers are shredded and mixed with boric acid before being turned into small fibres. These are packaged for installation on site.<br><br>Cellulose insulation is mostly used in roofs and walls and is typically blown.
DOI: 10.26188/5da55463adae0
title: EPiC database - Fibre cement weatherboard

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Fibre cement weatherboards are a non-structural material manufactured from Portland cement, cellulose fibres and water. Boards generally come in 4200 mm lengths, in widths from 150 to 300 mm and in thicknesses ranging from 7.5 mm to 16 mm. They can be easily cut to size on site. Thicker boards provide superior impact resistance while thinner boards are typically used in situations where impact resistance is not as crucial. They come in a range of textured finishes.<br><br>Fibre cement weatherboards are used as an external wall cladding. Each board is installed to overlap the board below, and as such, the effective wall coverage area is typically 80-90% of the actual area of boards used.<br><br>Thermal and acoustic performance is generally poor and additional insulation is usually needed. However, it is termite and rot resistant and has very high fire resistance properties.
DOI: 10.26188/5da5571457bf1
title: EPiC database - Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a plastic polymer characterised by good thermal and electrical insulation properties. PVC can be rigid (see uPVC) or soft. PVC is the third most produced plastic, globally.<br><br>PVC is produced by polymerising vinyl chloride monomers, mostly through suspension polymerisation, followed by emulsion and bulk polymerisation. This generates heat and requires cooling and water. The resulting sludge is filtered, centrifuged, and dried, before being converted to pellets. These can be molten for moulding or extrusion. Multiple additives can be added to PVC to enhance its properties, most importantly phthalate to soften the PVC.<br><br>PVC film is used in construction for flooring and electrical cable insulation.
DOI: 10.26188/5da557263ad43
title: EPiC database - Recycled aggregate

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Recycled aggregate is a cheap and readily available product made from recycled construction materials. It is strong and durable with excellent drainage properties. <br><br>It is typically comprised of concrete, stone, brick, ceramics, mortar and other common construction materials. It is produced using the waste materials collected from the demolition of building and infrastructure projects. Impurities such as metal, wood and timber are removed via magnets and other sorting techniques. The remaining materials are sorted by size, and crushed into a coarse aggregate.<br><br>Recycled aggregate is becoming increasingly popular as a replacement for natural aggregates. It is commonly used for: bulk fill, road construction, gravel, and as an aggregate in concrete. When used in concrete, it is typically combined with fly ash or other additives to ensure improved strength and reliability.
DOI: 10.26188/5da556748c57f
title: EPiC database - Plywood

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Plywood is a manufactured timber product made from thin veneers of timber bonded together under heat and pressure. Typically the outer layers (face timbers) are a higher grade with superior aesthetic qualities. Plywood is a high-strength, high quality sheet material, with good dimensional stability and resistance to cracking and warping. <br><br>Veneers are ‘peeled’ off a timber log to a precise thickness, and laminated together with other veneers, typically at different orientations to provide increased strength and stability. They are bonded with urea formaldehyde or a water-resistant glue such as phenol formaldehyde. <br><br>Plywood is available in a variety of grades, and timber species. These include high grade interior plywood, formply, exterior/marine grade plywood, and structural plywood.
DOI: 10.26188/5da554d7d6197
title: EPiC database - Gypsum plaster

description: This material is part of the free Environmental Performance in Construction (EPiC) Database. The EPiC Database contains embodied environmental flow coefficients for 250+ construction materials using a comprehensive hybrid life cycle inventory approach.<br><br>Gypsum plaster (traditionally known as plaster of Paris) is manufactured from gypsum rock and additives. The gypsum is heated to produce a dry plaster powder. It is then mixed with water to form a highly workable paste, which then hardens. It is a non-loadbearing material that is commonly used as a protective or decorative coating for walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative building elements. <br><br>Gypsum plaster is often used to simulate other materials, such as timber, metal and stone, due to its ability to be formed into any shape, which can be easily sanded. It is also a core material for plasterboard and other plaster-based products, such as cornices. Alternative forms of plaster include lime and cement-based plasters.<br><br>