A material that has made a name for itself in both the environmental and building sectors is the titanium zinc alloy RHEINZINK® by the eponymous company from Datteln in Western Germany. This material meets all the criteria for responsible and sustainable construction projects.
Wherever RHEINZINK® is used, it affords long-lasting satisfaction and ensures high durability with a consistently attractive look. This material stands out by virtue of its expected longevity of more than 100 years, performs under various conditions and is resistant to a coastal climate. The pre-weathered surfaces imparts a natural and appealing patina colouring, and are resistant to small scratches and finger prints with scratch marks healing anddisappearing over time.
The areas of the material’s application are manifold, but it is first and foremostused for roofing and facade cladding. RHEINZINK® is recommended for use anywhere in construction where durable and sustainable long-term solutions are required. Furthermore, at the end of its life cycle, RHEINZINK® is 100 percent recyclable and the entire product can re-enter the material cycle.
The ecological performance capacity of a material is evaluated in a so-called Live Cycle Assessment (LCA). Here, material and energy flows as well as potential effects on the environment in the course of the entire life cycle are evaluated.
RHEINZINK®Titanium Zinc satisfies the stringent requirements for sustainable building and construction, as required by the IBU (InstitutBauen und Umwelt) Environmental Product Declaration, based on the newest EN (European Standard) 15804 and ISO 14025, Type III. This ISO 14025, Type III Environmental Declarations are issued on the basis of criteria defined and reviewed by an independent advisory board.
They are therefore ideal when making an objective comparison between building products in terms of their environmental impact.
Due to the evaluation of its complete life cycle (LCA) the IBU declared RHEINZINK®Titanium Zinc an environmentally friendly building product due to its characteristics as documented in the Environmental Product Declaration. More about this German as well as the British BREEAM certification of RHEINZINK®done by BRE (Building Research Establishment Ltd.)can be found at http://www.rheinzink.co.za/sustainability/ecology/
