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TheThe

Book

SmarterGreen

Designing and buildingsustainably with James Hardie

ContentsSpaghetti junction 4

An outline of what’s changing, how it impacts you, what

you can do about it and the part James Hardie can play.

Eco-this, star-that 8

There are many accreditation programs in the building

industry. Here’s how to make sense of them.

Banish the brick box 14

An overview of the current push for sustainable development

– building a greener house and a greener neighbourhood.

The impact of manufacture 18

Introducing life cycle analysis and embodied energy

as one basis for choosing building materials.

A surprisingly green product 24

Considering their environmental benefits, perhaps fibre cement

building products should come in a standard light green!

The impact of construction 25

Councils are starting to require low impact construction

techniques to minimise a development’s footprint.

Designing and building sustainably with James Hardie

The Smarter Green Book

The impact over the life 26

Introducing maintenance, repair and replacement as

three ways to look at long term environmental impact.

The impact on people 32

Energy efficiency ratings don’t necessarily equate to

actual thermal comfort. What are the design drivers

for ratings approval and comfortable homes?

Designing for health 47

Going beyond the building – we take a quick look at

contributors to indoor air quality.

Pulling it all together 48

It’s not a case of one size fits all. Consider optimal design

solutions for major Australian climate zones.

Endnotes 54

Reference materials.

Be an all-star 55

Working with James Hardie.

Cover illustration features colours from the ECO palette from The Smarter Design Book

™ and ® denote a trademark or registered mark owned by James Hardie International Finance BV.© Copyright James Hardie Australia Pty Ltd 2007.

NoteIn some of the images in this book, James Hardie products have been used outsidethe scope of James Hardie’s technical literature. It is the designer/specifier’sresponsibility to identify whether the intended use of products is outside the scopeof such literature and, if so, to undertake specific design and detailing and to ensurethe construction complies with all relevant codes and regulations.

�T H E S M A R T E R G R E E N B O O K

Inside the bookWhether you’re a climate change sceptic ora we-need-to-do-something-now convert,it’s clear that regulators, designers,builders and consumers are all increasinglyconcerned about the environmental impactof buildings – both in construction andoperation. This book gives an overviewof how you can do your part.

One of the clear industry trends is the increasing amount ofregulation surrounding the incorporation of a raft of sustainabilitymeasures in buildings. However, concern doesn’t stop atregulation. The companies that are taking a proactive approach, byusing materials and processes that make smarter environmentalsense, are being rewarded.

James Hardie is a longstanding industry innovator, and istherefore keen to help people weave their way through thesustainability landscape. Inside this book is an outline of theregulatory context, some of the changes that are occurringat a neighbourhood level and a guide to designing houses tobe ‘greener’ whilst still being smart – on the outside and inconstruction.

In addition, this book presents some facts on the environmentalimpact of manufacturing James Hardie products, the impact ofJames Hardie products in a building over its whole life, and theimpact on people as they live and work in buildings using JamesHardie materials.

Finally, while you’ve probably heard of green smart, the phrasesmarter green may need some explanation. It’s really shorthand forthe fact that while we do need to design and build sustainably, weneed to do it balancing other factors, like cost, construction-easeand street-appeal. James Hardie helps you balance all four.

By applying practical innovation to real-world buildingchallenges, with a relentless commitment to increasing the valueand character of architecture, James Hardie enables you to design

and build in a smarter way. See more about how James Hardieenables good-looking, sustainable, cost-effective, construction-easy design and building, at www.jameshardie.com.au

A 6 star home at Aurora in Melbourne’s Epping North, VIC. Built by Orbit Homes,using Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding, Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboard, HardiFlex® eaveslining and sheets with Scyon™ Trim, and HardiTex® system.

Additional resources available atwww.jameshardie.com.au

Information

More images

Case study

Look Home extract

Building information flyer

Video

Design guide template

J A M E S H A R D I E4

Building a leading green position means untanglinga mess of regulation as well as spotting signposts forchange. It isn’t straightforward, but there are goodreasons to make the effort.

A March 2007 feature in The Weekend Financial Review1

described the growing debate about McMansions green homes.Investa executive Robert Lynch commented on Investa’scommitment to sustainability and the need for tougher legislation.

“Some companies such as ourselves are willing to take the leadbut others don’t. That means it’s not a level playing field,” he said.“Legislation is, at the end of the day, the only way to do it.”

Untangling the legislation is not straightforward. The overallregulation requiring building thermal performance ratings is theBuilding Code of Australia (BCA) and its objectives are “based

on the rationale that a building should be capable of reducinggreenhouse gas emissions if it is designed to use energyefficiently”. There are two ways to achieve building compliancewith the BCA: “deemed to satisfy provisions” and “alternatesolutions”.

Deemed to satisfy provisions specify minimum requirementsfor building fabric – insulation, roofs, roof lights, external walls,floors, glazing, shading/eaves, sealing, air movement and services

– and in relation to walls this means meeting the minimum R-valuerequirements specified for the appropriate Climate Zonein the BCA.

Alternate solutions are acceptable when it can be demonstratedthat they’re better or at least equivalent to the deemed to satisfyprovisions. This verification method allows a house design tobe analysed through an accepted energy rating software, whichproduces a star rating.

SpaghettiJunction


Unfortunately, the residential provisions in the BCA are notuniform across Australia. Instead, various states have their ownenergy efficiency provisions. These are detailed in each state’srespective variations on the BCA.

For example, from May 2006, South Australia, the ACT andVictoria moved to 5 star. However, Queensland requires only 4 starand divides the state into four climatic zones with different buildingregulations for each.

The Northern Territory is thinking of adopting 5 star but is waitingfor software testing results to ensure the issue of natural ventilationin the local tropical climate has been addressed.2

A quick guide to the softwareEnergy rating software tools model the hypotheticalperformance of homes in order to arrive at the rating. What’sdescribed as second generation software – AccuRate, BERSPro, FirstRate v5 – is being phased in nationally and enablesincreased modelling functionality and analysis. First generationsoftware is expected to be superseded in 2007/2008.

AccuRate (and other second generation software) modelthe thermal performance of a building fabric based uponthe specific construction of the fabric, weather data fora particular location and the activities of a standardisedoccupant (cooking, opening windows and blinds, occupyingdifferent parts of the house at different times of day).

On the one hand, the model assumes the occupantoptimises the performance of shading and openablewindows hourly, although clearly this isn’t what happens whenthe majority of people are at work.

On the other hand, the software also takes a worst-casescenario approach, which assumes that artificial heating andcooling is used whenever predicted indoor conditions falloutside a defined range of comfortable temperatures.Generally speaking, the comfortable range for living room

temperatures is assumed to be between 20 and 25degrees Celsius.

The software produces a score representing heating andcooling loads, which identifies the amount of additional energy– per square metre over a year – that needs to be supplied tothe house to bring the temperatures within the house into thecomfortable range. In addition, the cooling loads generated inAccuRate take into account the cooling effect of air movementover the skin.

Unfortunately, house energy rating software simplycompares the relative potential energy conservationperformance of houses to each other, and may give littleindication of actual energy use by particular occupants whomay be trying their best to adopt a ‘greener’ lifestyle. Inaddition, a 200 square metre house and a 500 square metrehouse may both rate 5 stars, but the larger house needs moreenergy to heat and cool simply because it’s larger.

Western Australia requires only 4 star but the State Governmentthere is promoting energy efficiency awards under which anyhouse achieving 5 star energy rating can qualify for BuildingDesigners Association of Western Australia Awards and HousingIndustry Association (HIA) Greensmart Awards.

In NSW, the Building Sustainability Index (BASIX) is their variationto the BCA in limited classes of residential development and setsthe required levels of environmental performance in a number ofareas including energy, water and thermal comfort. Under BASIX,a home must receive a ‘pass’ in the Thermal Comfort section inorder to receive development approval.

Energy rating software toolsmodel the hypotheticalperformance of homes

Check out our climate-specific, energy-efficient designstrategies at http://jameshardie.com.au/designtools

J A M E S H A R D I E�

Other national regulations are being mooted. For example, anembodied energy index could be assigned to every product witha limit on the total sum to be used. Some even suggest therecould be a generic prohibition of materials and productswith a high level of embodied energy.3

What consumers wantRegulation is one thing, but what consumers want is another. TheHIA’s Housing and Economics Director, Simon Tennent, says thatpeople’s attraction to big houses is as strong as ever. In contrast,the Chief Executive Officer of NSW builder Cosmopolitan Homes,Michael Condoleon, thinks that consumers themselves increasinglywant to go beyond the mandatory requirements and they areprepared to sacrifice some size to get it.

He believes the industry has done a poor job educating theconsumer. “We do a great job selling tapware and bathrooms,”he says. “I think if we paid the same attention to sustainabilitythe customers would take it up.”4

Read more case studies about ScyonTM at http://jameshardie.com.au/scyon

This view is supported by statistics from a recent study of UShome builders which found that, nationwide, over 80% of home-seekers prefer to buy homes that incorporate sustainable orenergy-efficient features. Of those buyers, half are willing to pay11%-25% more for environmentally friendly homes.5

In addition, the President, CEO and Founding Chairman of theUS Green Building Council, Rick Fedrizzi, speaking at a 2007Melbourne conference, said that research showed the nextgeneration’s perspective will increase green building.

“89% choose brands aligned with social cause,” says Fedrizzi.6

All industries have their laggards. Typically, laggards are theones who change because they’re regulated to do so or theycan no longer deny consumer sentiment. On the other hand, theleaders are pioneers pulling the change. In turn, leaders are closelyfollowed by a sizable group who definitely accept change morequickly than the average.

James Hardie is a pioneering company. It developed fibrecement technology in the 1980s and has continued to innovatesince then. Over a decade ago, Australian architect and RAIARobin Boyd Award recipient Lindsay Clare recognised thematerial’s benefits.

Clare says fibre cement “is utilitarian and direct and generatesits own design principles. It encourages a designer to think andwork with materials rather than styles. [Fibre cement] requires littlemaintenance and allows economic solutions to sloping sites. It isalso a product for the future with its low embodied energy rating”.7

Consumers themselveswant to go beyond themandatory requirements


The Portofino, The Quays, Torquay, VIC. Built by Simonds Homes, using ScyonTM

MatrixTM cladding, ScyonTM LineaTM weatherboard, HardiTex® system.

Case study on Simonds homes at The Quay, at http://jameshardie.com.au/quay

HardiFlex® sheets with timber battens on walls and openings.

That was before James Hardie launched Scyon™, the newbuilding material composite that facilitates even smarter buildingand expanded design possibilities. Scyon™ builds on JamesHardie’s core competency in fibre cement and innovation, tocreate an advanced concrete formulation that deepens the greenof James Hardie products. It adds attributes such as ease of useand longer paint-life to low embodied energy and high durability.And the composition of all James Hardie products makes them acontributor to healthy homes.

As an industry leader itself, James Hardie identifies and partnerswith other leaders. Naturally, leaders are companies thinkingabout how to create sustainable homes in ways that aren’t evenregulated yet – and how to sell the benefits to consumers.

Simplistically, a product goes into a house which goes into aneighbourhood. The whole chain should be more sustainable.How can James Hardie help you design and build a smartershade of green, all the way along?

Over 80% of home-seekersprefer to buy homes withenergy-efficient features


There are many accreditationprograms in the building industry.Here’s how to make sense of them.

Environmental concern in the building industry has spawneda plethora of rating and accreditation schemes, from thermal houseratings, to neighbourhood ratings, to specification databases thatassist in materials selection. Sometimes a star in one is not thesame as a star in another, so it can be confusing to try to decipherwhat each rating tool applies to, and is best used for.

Eco-thisStar-that

Stockland sales office, Vertu, Forrestdale, WA. Summit Homes, using ScyonTM Linea™weatherboard with ScyonTM Trim, HardiTex® system, Versilux® lining.

Case studies on Summit Homes at Vertu at http://jameshardie.com.au/vertu

9T H E S M A R T E R G R E E N B O O K

NatHERSNatHERS is the Nationwide House Energy Rating Schemeestablished by the Ministerial Council on Energy. It’s administeredby the Energy Efficiency Working Group and managed by theAustralian Greenhouse Office.

NatHERS uses computer simulations to rate the potential energyefficiency of Australian homes on a scale of zero to 10 stars.The more stars, the less likely the occupants are to need coolingor heating to stay comfortable.

The rating depends on the layout of the home, the constructionof its roof, walls, windows and floor, and how well these suit thelocal climate. Energy consumption by hot water systems, lightsor household appliances is not part of the rating because thosefittings are usually replaced several times during the lifeof the building.

What the stars mean

• Zero stars means the building shell does practicallynothing to reduce the discomfort of hot or cold weather

• A 5 star rating indicates good, but not outstanding,thermal performance

• Occupants of a 10 star home are unlikely to needany artificial cooling or heating.

Quick tips:

What is it? The energy efficiency of a house measured innumbers of stars.

Who would use it? Builders or designers.

What would they use it for? Demonstrating complianceto the BCA’s energy efficiency provisions via the “alternatesolution” method.

Green StarThe Green Building Council of Australia runs Green Star, a designand operational assessment tool that covers a wide range ofenvironmental categories including indoor environment quality,energy, transport, water, materials, land use, site selection andecology. It also incorporates other ratings tools such the AustralianBuilding Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) in its assessment (see next page).

Currently, there is a suite of Green Star rating tools forcommercial office design and construction, and pilot Green Startools for shopping centres and healthcare facilities. In 2007/2008,pilot tools for education facilities, mixed use/residential, industrial,and public buildings will be launched.

Projects are evaluated against eight environmental impactcategories, plus innovation. Within each category, points areawarded for initiatives that demonstrate that a project has metthe overall objectives of Green Star and the specific criteria of therelevant rating tool credits. Points are then weighted and an overallscore is calculated, determining the project’s Green Star rating.

Although Green Star certification is a formal process, anyone canfreely download and use the Green Star tools as guides to trackand improve their project’s environmental performance.

Quick tips:

What is it? A voluntary rating tool measuring a wide rangeof environmental impacts of commercial buildings in stars.

Who would use it? Developers, builders or designers.

What would they use it for? Demonstrating theenvironmental credentials of their building to prospectivetenants and purchasers.

A 5 star rating means good,but not outstanding, thermal performance


NABERSThe National Australian Built Environment Rating System(NABERS) is a performance-based rating system for existingbuildings. It was developed by the Department of Environmentand Heritage and is being commercialised nationally by the NSWDepartment of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability.

There is currently NABERS Home and NABERS Office. NABERSHome helps home owners rate their water and energy use againstthe average household in NSW. NABERS Office rates a building onthe basis of its measured operational impacts on the environment,in a number of key impact categories:

Impact of the building on the broader environment• Energy use and greenhouse efficiency• Water• Transport• Refrigerant use.

Impact of the building on its occupants• Indoor environment.

Impact of the building on its local environment• Stormwater• Stormwater pollution• Sewage outfall volume• Landscape diversity.

NABERS incorporates the industry standard ABGR schemefor energy and greenhouse efficiency.

Quick tips:

What is it? A voluntary rating tool measuring a wide range ofoperational environmental impacts of office buildings, in stars.

Who would use it? Building owners, managers or occupants.

What would they use it for? Assessing how well theseenvironmental impacts are being managed comparedwith others.

ABGRThe Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) Scheme isadministered nationally by the NSW Department of Energy, Utilitiesand Sustainability (DEUS) and locally by leading state greenhouseagencies. It is a ”world first initiative” to help building owners andtenants across Australia benchmark their greenhouse performance.

ABGR benchmarks the actual greenhouse performance ofexisting Australian office buildings, with a rating from 1 to 5.Current market best practice in Australia is 3 stars. The schemeprovides market recognition and a competitive advantage for lowgreenhouse emitters and energy efficient buildings and encouragesbest practice in the design, operation and maintenance ofcommercial buildings to minimise greenhouse emissions.

Key features of ABGR:

• It’s voluntary – a rating can be initiated by a building owner,manager or tenant

• It rates a building according to its actual performance,using 12 months’ energy data

• It can be used for the base building (central services),whole building or individual tenancies

• It allows developers to “badge” the greenhouse performanceof their new office development from the outset on the provisothat DEUS will rate its actual operational performance andadvise the tenants.

Quick tips:

What is it? A voluntary rating tool measuring operationalenergy efficiency of office buildings, in stars.

Who would use it? Building owners, managers or occupants.

What would they use it for? Assessing how well energyand greenhouse efficiency are being managed comparedwith others.


GreenSmartThe Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) GreenSmart programworks with individuals as well as developments. The GreenSmartProfessional training helps builders understand how to incorporateenvironmental design, building practices and products into theirhomes to meet their customers’ expectations with regards tosustainable building and living.

Some of the aspects builders are encouraged to focus on areimproving energy and water efficiency, improving indoor air qualityand site management, and waste management and recycling.In particular, house designs should exceed typical minimumenergy rating requirements, and most homes will achieve a 5 starNatHERS energy rating.

GreenSmart also recognises a variety of display villages, homesand estates across Australia which adopt the GreenSmartprinciples and showcase how home buyers can incorporateGreenSmart into their new home. Many projects are open to thepublic, giving people the chance to select an environmentallyfriendly house that best suits their needs or to get great ideasfor their home renovation.

The HIA GreenSmart Code of Practice encourages NationalLeaders and Partners, Regional Partners and all GreenSmartProfessionals to seek to:

• Contribute to improving the environmental performanceof Australia’s building industry

• Deliver environmental improvements in a way that respondsto community expectations on building types and cost

• Work with other GreenSmart Professionals to pursue goodenvironmental management in the building industry.

Quick tips:

What is it? Both an accreditation and training program.

Who would use it? Builders and developers.

What would they use it for? GreenSmart demonstratesthe environmental credentials of a building or development.

Top: Stockland sales office, Murrays Beach, NSW.Bottom left: Murrays Beach, NSW. Rawson Homes, using ScyonTM LineaTM

weatherboard and Scyon™ AxonTM cladding.Bottom right: Murrays Beach, NSW. Cosmopolitan Homes, using SyconTM LineaTM

weatherboard, Scyon™ Trim and Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding.

Stockland’s Murrays Beachdemonstrates GreenSmart in action

Read case studies about Murrays Beach and the innovative Rawson, Huxley andCosmopolitan homes at http://jameshardie.com.au/murraysbeach


EnviroDevelopmentAt a development level, EnviroDevelopment is a scientifically-basedbranding system designed to make it easier for purchasers torecognise and, thereby, select more environmentally sustainabledevelopments and lifestyles. It is an initiative of the UrbanDevelopment Institute in Queensland.

Certified developments will have been carefully designed toprotect the environment and use resources responsibly, whilstoffering a range of benefits to home owners, industry andgovernment. The six elements of sustainability are:

• Improved water use

• Reduced production of greenhouse gases and reduceduse of fossil fuels

• Protected and enhanced health and sustainability of naturalsystems and the encouragement of native biodiversity andrehabilitation of degraded sites

• Vibrant, cohesive, sustainable communities with goodcommunity design; the provision of community facilities andnetworks; safe, accessible housing and options for thereduced use of private motor vehicles

• Environmentally responsible material usage including reuseof materials, recycled materials and consideration of the lifecycle environmental costs of materials

• Comprehensive waste management procedures andpractices to reduce the amount of waste to landfill.

Quick tips:

What is it? An accreditation program assessing a widerange of environmental impacts of developments.

Who would use it? Developers.

What would they use it for? Demonstrating theenvironmental credentials of their project toprospective purchasers.

Aurora, Epping North, VIC; the VicUrban estate for which EcoSelector was developed(see opposite page).

Read case studies about the Aurora estate, and the 6 star homes from OrbitHomes and Simonds Homes, at http://jameshardie.com.au/aurora

1�T H E S M A R T E R G R E E N B O O K

EcospecifierEcospecifier is a knowledge base of well over 3,000 environmentallypreferable products, materials, technologies and resources.Designed to help designers, builders, consultants and thoselooking to deliver a best practice design, Ecospecifier can helpreduce environmental impacts and create healthier and moreproductive living and working environments.

Its broader aim is to help create a more sustainable physicalenvironment by increasing the use of environmentally preferableand healthy materials and design processes. Ecospecifier helpsassess housing materials in terms of their life cycle impacts.

There are six dimensions for assessment:

1. Energy and greenhouse

2. Habitat and land degradation

3. Resource depletion and efficiency

4. Occupant and contractor health

5. Toxicity to air, land and water

6. Other vital signs.

All James Hardie manufactured building products have beenadded to the Ecospecifier database.

Quick tips:

What is it? A database rating different building materialsagainst a broad set of environmental impacts.

Who would use it? Designers and builders.

What would they use it for? Assisting the selectionof building materials.

EcoSelectorAnother materials database is EcoSelector. EcoSelector wasdeveloped by RMIT for VicUrban, the Victorian State Governmenturban land development agency, showcasing their sustainabilitycredentials in their 8,000-home Aurora estate.

Aurora will have environmental features which, amongstother initiatives, require the use of materials that are moreenvironmentally sustainable. The EcoSelector was designed toguide the builders in their selection of materials. More or lesspoints are allocated depending on the materials used for the floorstructure, framing, wall cladding, roof cladding, fittings and finishes,and landscaping.

The builders are required to meet a minimum overall score fortheir proposed house before it can be approved by VicUrban.

Quick tips:

What is it? A database rating different building materialsagainst a broad set of environmental impacts.

Who would use it? Designers and builders.

What would they use it for? Assisting the selectionof building materials.

EcoSelector was developedespecially for VicUrban’s Aurora


Banish the brick boxMcMansion madness should leave the mainstream,as designing and building a smarter shade of greengathers momentum.

Architect Glenn Murcutt called them “a complete disaster”,8

Sydney Morning Herald architecture critic Elizabeth Farrelly hasbemoaned them as “madness”9, and in a Good Weekend feature,journalist Janet Hawley described them as “virtual walls of neat,lookalike, fridge-magnet, big-hair houses dominated by wow factors”.10

Whilst ugliness is a matter of opinion, can’t be defined andtherefore can’t be regulated, homogeneity can be. Streetscapediversity is encouraged in its place. Witness planning strategiesaround the nation – for example, Melbourne 2030, South East

Queensland Regional Plan, New South Wales Far North CoastRegional Strategy – all of which emphasise developing urbancharacter and local identity. However, the case againstMcMansion estates is not just about “the look”.

McMansions and the environmentFarrelly says: “the environmental effects of building huge housesthat use a vast amount of energy are measurable and alarming …”In a traditional McMansion, the “lack of eaves, the big internal


14%HEATING &COOLING

9%LIGHTING

6%COOKING

7%STANDBY

28%WATER HEATING

19%OTHERAPPLIANCES

17%REFRIGERATION

Housing and neighbourhoods are changingWhen ex-NSW Government Architect Chris Johnson was Directorof the Year of the Built Environment, he said that land shortagesand demographic changes were two of the drivers forcing a needto think afresh about building and planning.

“Change is coming fast to the Australian house, whether we likeit or not,” he says. “Diminishing supplies of water and energy willforce a reduction in the reliance on airconditioning through thedesign of thinner, cross-ventilated houses … Houses will need tobreathe naturally and be carefully oriented to the sun to controltemperature.

“We need new housing types – not one size fits all. We needto move from the McMansions dominating the market to includesmaller houses, courtyard houses, terrace houses, andsubdividable houses. New neighbourhoods must be plannedto incorporate a mixture of these new housing types, which willaccommodate families, the elderly, young couples and singlepeople within the same area”.15

Greenhouse gases from home energy use(based on Australian Greenhouse Office 1999).14

Change is coming fast to theAustralian house, whether

we like it or notvoids, single glazing and minimal insulation mean you’ll boil insummer,” she says.11

Central Queensland University lecturer of environmentalmanagement Dr Peter Fisher raises other environmental issuesthat result from such large homes on small lots.

“The problems associated with McMansions on diminutiveblocks (are) the large areas of hard surfaces in exterior wallsand surrounds that act as heat banks; the high volumes ofstormwater run-off with inadequate interception causingflooding; and minimal opportunities for cooling by tree shading orstormwater retention to support tree plantings,” says Fisher.12

We should all care. Australian households produce more than15 tonnes of greenhouse gas per home each year. The collectiveannual amount contributes more than 20% of Australia’s totalgreenhouse emissions.13 Greenhouse gases are produced fromactivities like heating and cooling, cooking, lighting, and runningappliances, as well as from construction. The energy usedto create building products also creates emissions.

J A M E S H A R D I E1�

Walkable communities may be healthierSmarter neighbourhood planning can also benefit health. McMansionestates are often characterised by large houses on small lots wherethe focus is on the inside. Sociologist Gabrielle Gwyther describesMcMansions “like castles, fun factories and mini resorts in one”.16

Dr Tony Capon, Medical Officer of Health with the Western SydneyArea Health Service, sees a link between sprawl and obesity. “Thepotential health and social consequences of our current pattern ofurban development provide a compelling rationale for a rethinkof the way we are developing our cities,” he says.

Already a number of initiatives have been adopted by urbandesigners and town and transport planners to create more walkable,human scale environments. This is partly due to evidence suggestingthat important health benefits follow. For example, a 2003 US studyfound that those living in high walkable neighbourhoods spent almosttwice as much time every week walking for local errands comparedwith those living in low walkable neighbourhoods, and about half asmany residents were overweight.17

Across Australia, state and metropolitan growth strategies aswell as state and local statutory design codes have returned tothese timeless planning principles that emphasise compact andwalkable communities to reduce car dependency; mixed use andhousing diversity; promotion of neighbourhood and streetscapecharacter; and sustainable development and site responsiveness.

Some developers, like those of the Perth beachside suburbHarbour Rise, Melbourne’s 6 star VicUrban estate Aurora, andwestern Sydney’s Ropes Crossing, have also embraced theseprinciples and further ensured the outcome through development-specific design guidelines.

VicUrban also developed the EcoSelector guide for Aurora, toassist builders and designers choose environmentally preferredmaterials to fulfil a component of the estate’s building controls. Theguide is based on assessments of the impacts of the materials thatmake up a home. According to this analysis, the materials in theguide are minimising some aspects of embodied energy, resourceconsumption, and toxicity and/or biodiversity impacts whencompared to standard materials.

Top: Rear loaded homes in Harbour Rise in Perth.Bottom: Smaller lot housing at Waterline, Bulimba, QLD. Mirvac, using ScyonTM

LineaTM weatherboard and HardiPanel® compressed sheets for balcony detail.

Read a case study on Waterline at http://jameshardie.com.au/waterline


Download theStreetscapes magazine athttp://jameshardie.com.au/streetscapes

Creating better places to liveClearly the push for more sustainable neighbourhoods and homesis gathering pace and James Hardie is firmly at the forefront of thisas a partner of leading developers and builders.

In 2005, the company launched the industry magazineStreetscapes and, in 2006, created and sponsored an intensivetwo-week study tour of US developments for Australian plannersand developers.

Canberra Investment Corporation Chief Operating Officer, TonyCarey, says that the US tour showed him timeless planningconcepts in action. “There are certain fundamental principlesunderlying new urbanism that are applicable in any community,”says Carey. “I didn’t think they would be readily adoptable herebut I’m now sure they are.”

Of course neighbourhoods are a mosaic of houses and otherbuildings. Chief Executive Officer of Australian developer UrbanPacific, Wayne Rex, says the US streetscape presentation he

Watch video documentaries from the tour athttp://jameshardie.com.au/livingbenchmarks

saw on the tour seemed to be the result of a more planned andintegrated approach than in Australia, and that it really opened hiseyes to the way James Hardie products can be used to creategreat streets.

“In the US they’ve taken the use of [fibre cement] to another level,and they’ve built on the quality of the design,” he says. “There’sa lot of room to grow that in Australia. The challenge will be toenhance that through good design.”

On the subject of design, Stockland National Design HouseManager, Megan Boazman, says the tour hit the mark. Boazman ischarged with envisioning the company’s strategic design directionand she says that the tour “demonstrated to us good and badexamples of built form, different approaches to delivering builtform product, different developer delivery mechanisms and newurbanism. It was excellent”.

Of course, James Hardie products suit Australian architectureas well as traditional American. RAIA Robyn Boyd Award recipient,architect John Mainwaring, says that “traditional [fibre cement]houses are synonymous with our seaside wilderness memories.“The challenge for us as architects moving into the new

millennium is to abstract the historical memories into acontemporary Australian imagery, especially to counteractimported socially obsessed styles.”18

Let’s take on the challenge together. Banish the brick boxand build authentic Australian architecture – smarter.

Fundamental principles underlyingnew urbanism are applicable

in any community


Assessing the green-ness of building materialsstarts at birth – from extracting raw materialsto processing, to shipping the product out ofthe door – and through the rest of its life.

The best modern way to understand the environmentalimpacts of materials, products and whole buildings is byundertaking a careful life cycle analysis (LCA). A LCA broadensthe conventional, often single factor approach, to try and achievea holistic evaluation. It does this by taking into account all stagesof a product’s entire life cycle (often referred to as the “cradle tograve” cycle) including all environmental by-products in each ofthe following:

The impact ofmanufacture

• Raw material extraction, processing and transportation• Product design, manufacture and distribution• Use and maintenance• Recycling and/or final disposal.

From an environmental point of view, building materials’ impactsmight be classified in terms of resource depletion, inherentpollution, and embodied energy.


Materials

Emissions

Effluents

Solid wastes

Other releases

Products

Co-Products

Energy

Water

INITIATIONGoods

Purpose & scope

Systems boundaries

Data categories

Review process

IMPACTASSESSMENTEcosystem health

Human health

Resource depletion

Social health

IMPROVEMENT ASSESSMENTExtend product life

Substitute materials

Improved distribution

Enhance use/maintainability

Reduce energy consumption

Improve process efficiencies

Improve collection efficiencies

Improve waste management

INVENTORY ANALYSIS

Raw material acquisition

Manufacturing

Use/Maintenance

Waste management

Resource depletionDr Bill Lawson is a retired Faculty of the Built Environmentacademic and currently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow atthe University of New South Wales. He says that lightweightconstruction systems are typically low in resource depletion,as little material is used, even if some of the material inputs areassociated with a large environmental impact.

“Ideally, a system will have both low mass and low impact,”Dr Lawson says. This could be a timber frame clad externally withfibre cement and internally with plasterboard, on a suspendedtimber floor. “Even when insulated, these materials require muchless material than, say, double brick construction.”

Dr Lawson also comments that lightweight construction may alsobe more efficient in terms of energy used to maintain comfortableinternal conditions. “This is a striking conclusion and goes againstsome conventional wisdom,” he says, “But it is supported by resultsof ongoing research at the University of Adelaide.”19

Inherent pollution and embodied energyOne aspect of the data that is produced by LCA is embodiedenergy. Embodied energy is the energy consumed by all of theprocesses associated with the production of a product. Theinherent pollution of a particular construction system and itsembodied energy show some correlation, because the moreprocessing that takes place the more energy is consumed andthe more wastes are produced.20 The level of embodied energy inbuilding materials is another measure that the Australian BuildingCodes Board is considering regulating.21

CO2 emissions are highly correlated with the energy consumedin manufacturing building materials (embodied energy). Onaverage, 0.098 tonnes of CO2 are produced per gigajoule ofembodied energy. Cement and aluminium are higher than averageand glass is lower.22 The embodied energy of a fibre cement cladtimber-framed wall system can be up to 60% lower than a claybrick veneer wall.23

Some building product manufacturers claim that the energyembodied in their products is minor, compared to that consumedin everyday living. (Typically these tend to be the products with highembodied energy to start with!)

However, the embodied energy of a building is a significantmultiple of the annual operating energy consumed, ranging fromaround 10 for typical dwellings to over 30 for office buildings. Theenergy embodied in existing building stock in Australia is equivalentto 10 years of the total energy consumption for the entire nation!24

The more processing thattakes place, the more

energy is consumed

A generic life cycle assessment model


The James Hardie LCAJames Hardie completed a cradle to gate life cycle assessmentof a number of products in 1999. However, before reviewingthe embodied energy of James Hardie products, a basicunderstanding of the manufacturing process is important. The rawmaterials used by James Hardie in the manufacture of fibre cementproducts are low in toxicity. These include:

• Cellulose fibre – unbleached pine wood pulp fromsustainable plantation timbers (Pinus radiata)

• Ordinary Portland cement

• Ground sand

• Small amounts of additives as required for specificproduct properties

• Water.

The Hatschek process (shown to the right) is used to convert themto fibre cement.

During manufacturing, James Hardie attempts to recycle as muchof the waste products as is practical, via the following processes:

• Significant amounts of the recycled product off-cuts from themanufacturing process are used in all three fibre cement plants.Over half of all batches incorporate waste mix slurry.

• Process water is recycled at least four times before it is treatedand released, significantly reducing the overall water demandof the process which currently relies on just 25% of mainswater. In addition, James Hardie has signed a Memorandumof Understanding to consider participating in the NSWGovernment’s Camellia Recycled Water Scheme. If theScheme proceeds as planned, it would provide up to six billionlitres of recycled water each year to James Hardie and sixother industrial users. Treated effluent from the Liverpoolto Ashfield Pipeline would be accumulated at a recycled waterplant which may use a process of microfiltration and reverseosmosis to treat the water to a very high quality forindustrial use.

Cement SiloSilica PlantCellulose Plant

Mixing Plant

Hatschek Machine

Autoclave

Press

StoreFinishingTRIM

WET END GREEN TRIM

PULP STORAGE

WATERADDITIVES CELLULOSE CEMENTSILICA

REFINER

HYDRAPULPER SILICATHICKENER

SANDBIN

CEMENTSILO

BELLMILL

MIXER

WEIGHTHOPPERS

STACKER

SAND STACK

Delivery

• Ongoing efforts to recycle solid and liquid wastes like oil,packaging, steel consumables and scrap “green” sheets,are aimed at sending the least possible amount to landfill.James Hardie has several projects targeted at this area.For example, it recently commenced a “Quality at the Roller”project to minimise scrap, as well as a Zero Landfill Right atSource project. This project is aimed at reducing the amountof raw materials waste sent to landfill by half, in the next12 months.

The Hatschek process


HardieBlade® saw blade is designed specifically for fibre cement and produces lessrespirable dust than traditional masonry blades.

Recycling wastes isaimed at sending the leastamount possible to landfill

SilicaCommonly known as sand or quartz, silica is the secondmost common mineral on earth and is found in manycommon building products including concrete, bricks,grout, wallboard, ceramic tiles, glass, dirt and all fibrecement material such as James Hardie building products.

Silica is harmless when it’s intact. However, when itis cut, drilled or otherwise abraded, silica is released asfine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs.Breathing excessive amounts of respirable silica cancause a potentially fatal lung disease called silicosis andhas been linked with other diseases. Some internationalauthorities consider respirable silica to be a cause ofcancer. Some studies suggest smoking may increasethese risks.

James Hardie Best Practice recommendationsare designed to minimise the risk of harm from silicaexposure. James Hardie products meet or exceed allapplicable government safety standards when used inaccordance with best practice including recommendedtooling guidelines.

Read the Best Practice Guide to Working Safelywith Fibre Cement Products which is available athttp://jameshardie.com.au/bestpractice


Embodied energy of fibre cement productsOf raw materials inputs, cement contributes the major share ofthe environmental impacts of fibre cement products because of itsrelatively high process energy requirements and the gas emissionsassociated with cement manufacture. The cellulose fibre rankssecond followed by the sand, a distant third, then the additivesand finally the water.

The contribution by the major process inputs to the embodiedenergy values of fibre cement products reveals that again cementis the most prominent input, followed by process steam raising,electrical energy generation, cellulose fibre, additives and sand.

ENVIRONMENTALPARAMETER

SUMMARY OF THE LCA STUDY PARAMETERS OF FIVE JAMES HARDIEFIBRE CEMENT BUILDING PRODUCTS PER SQUARE METRE OF PRODUCT

6mmVillaBoard®

sheet

4.5mmHardiFlex®

sheet

45.9

20.9

11.9

80.9

65.1

25.9

2.4

28.9

6.8

101.7

61.7

37.7

16.2

11.5

103.8

47.9

31.2

2.0

25.8

5.7

75.7

59.5

76.9

33.5

23.7

205.8

97.2

63.4

3.8

23.6

11.9

153.5

120.2

99.3

37.7

31.2

250.5

149.6

80.8

4.3

79.2

13.4

172.5

135.0

THe resuLTIng eMBoDIeD VaLues for THefIVe seLeCTeD fIBre CeMenT proDuCTsare sHown Here.

Fibre cement has a lower embodiedenergy than many other typical

construction systems

7.5mmHardiPlank®

board

9mmPrimeLine®

board

Embodied energy (MJ)

Eco-indicator (millipoints)

CO2 air emissions (kg)

NOx air emissions (g)

SOx air emissions (g)

CxHy air emissions (g)

CH4 air emissions (g)

Dust air emissions(g)

Solid waste emissions (kg)

Water resource depletion (L)

Wastewater discharge (L)

NOTES• All embodied energy includes the energy content of all the process inputs and transportation energy• Air emissions include those of energy generation, inputs manufacture and transportation emissions• Solid waste emissions include those of the fibre cement process, fibre cement process energy

generation and raw materials manufacture, but do not include the solid waste emissions resultingfrom the generation of required energy to produce raw materials or resulting from transportation

• Water resource depletion relates to the manufacture of fibre cement products, the fibre cementprocess energy generation and raw materials manufacture

• Wastewater discharge is for fibre cement process, cement and cellulose fibre production and sandmining


As shown below, when incorporated into a wall system and compared with other products, fibre cement has a much lower embodiedenergy than many other typical construction systems, like brick veneer:

0

200

400

600

800

1000

MJ/

M2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

MJm2

1 Timber Frame, Timber Weatherboard Wall 1882 Timber Frame, Reconstituted Timber Weatherboard Wall 3773 Timber Frame, Fibre Cement Weatherboard Wall 2274 Timber Frame, Steel Clad Wall 3365 Steel Frame, Steel Clad Wall 4256 Timber Frame, Aluminium Weatherboard Wall 4037 Timber Frame, Clay Brick Veneer Wall 5618 Steel Frame, Clay Brick Veneer Wall 6509 Timber Frame, Concrete Block Veneer Wall 36110 Steel Frame, Concrete Block Veneer Wall 45311 Cavity Clay Brick Wall 869

MJm2

12 Cavity Concrete Block Wall 46513 Single Skin Stabilised Rammed Earth Wall 40514 Single Skin Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Block (AAC) Wall 44015 Single Skin Cored Concrete Block Wall 31716 Steel Frame, Compressed Fibre Cement Clad Wall 35917 Hollow Core Precast Concrete Wall 72918 Tilt-up Precast Concrete Wall 81819 Porcelain-Enamelled Steel Curtain Wall 86520 Glass Curtain Wall 77021 Steel Faced Sandwich Panel Wall 108722 Aluminium Curtain Wall 935

Embodied energy (MJ/m2) of wall construction systems

Source: Building Materials Energy and the Environment, Towards Ecologically Sustainable Development,(Table 6.2, p59; Appendix B), Dr Bill Lawson, 1996. The figures for fibre cement have been updated with approval of the author on the basis of the LCA study conducted by James Hardie.

For a Technical Bulletin describing the James Hardie LCA in detail, go to http://jameshardie.com.au/lca


Fibre cement building products should comein standard light green colour, suggests builtenvironment expert Dr Bill Lawson.25

This is not meant literally of course. However, it would bean appropriate symbol of the fact that lightweight construction,incorporating fibre cement products, results in one of themost energy efficient and environmentally responsible buildingsystems employed in the Australian building industry.

Some may find this statement quite surprising, but whenyou examine how James Hardie fibre cement sheets aremanufactured, and especially when you analyse the way itis used in buildings, it makes a lot of sense. The key to thesurprisingly low environmental impact of fibre cement products isthe extraordinary efficiency with which they can be incorporatedinto buildings.

The combination of cement, ground sand and fibre provides aproduct that offers flexural strength and durability, and impact-,termite- and fire-resistance – all properties that are desirable tothe building industry. These properties allow fibre cement to beused in very thin sheets, especially when compared to a numberof other commonly used materials. To put it simply: a little bit offibre cement goes a long way!

DurabilityOne of the hidden factors that determines the true impact of aproduct is its service life, and how it is disposed of at the end ofthat useful period.

Fibre cement products are very durable and require very littlemaintenance during their lifetime. The Building Code of Australiadeems fibre cement products to be non-combustible.

The products have been in use for many years in residential

and commercial building applications and have proven to beresistant to fire and damage from termites, moisture or impact,when installed and maintained according to James Hardie’stechnical literature.

The International Conference of Building Officials (ICBO) in theUSA has classified fibre cement as a durable external claddingmaterial. Fibre cement products do not suffer the traditionaldurability problems of timber or PVC-based cladding materials,and service lives of over 50 years are not unusual.

Fibre cement products from demolished sites are not suitablefor reintroduction into the manufacture of new material, becauseof the presence of pollutants such as paints. But they are easy toseparate from framing, and can be safely disposed of as landfillor as part of recycled roadbase material.

So is it grey or green?Dr Bill Lawson points out that the environmental impact ofa building material should be assessed in terms of its actualapplication in building systems, over the lifetime of the building,and even after its demolition.

As a material, fibre cement sheet may not be at the lowest endof the embodied energy scale, although it is much better thanmany other building materials. But when fibre cement isincorporated into practical building systems, it turns out tobe one of the most energy efficient materials available.

In the manufacture of James Hardie fibre cement productsJames Hardie already achieves high standards in minimisingwaste and increasing recycling. When you add to this thedurability of the material and its potential for safe eventualdisposal, the result is a product that makes a relatively modestimpact on the environment.

So why don’t they dye it green? Because they don’t have to.

A surprisinglygreen product


Scorched earth or natural vegetation? Councils arestarting to prescribe using low impact constructiontechniques to minimise a development’s footprint.

The most common Australian housing constructionmethod involves brick veneer walls with a concrete slab onground. However, this typically involves a ‘scorched earth’approach. Increasingly, developers and consumers are beingasked to build on sloping sites and take different approaches toretaining vegetation and stormwater management.

Urban Development Institute of Australia’s Queenslandpresident Brent Hailey says the closer you get to the BrisbaneCBD, the worse the problem is. “Most of the flat land is boughtup and the sloping land is left behind,” he says.26

For example, the Gold Coast has steep slopes, is subject tointense rainfall and has been extensively developed. The effectsof this development can significantly change slope stability. As aresult, Gold Coast City Council has developed controls to createmore site responsive outcomes. The controls limit the impact onthe landscape character and ensure that the quality and quantityof stormwater traversing the site doesn’t degrade the naturalenvironment or any other sites. In addition, cut and fill is limitedin both scope and effect: it must not create a detrimental impacton the slope stability, erosion potential or visual amenity.27

The Brisbane City Council has issued 15 Principles forSustainable Development and corresponding guidelines, whichprovide supplementary information for planners, developers andbuilders. For example Guideline 3 – designing for our subtropicalplace – suggests maintaining the topography and minimisingcut and fill, retaining significant trees and other vegetation,and elevating building to permit airflow beneath floors. OtherGuidelines reinforce this approach.

Steel or timber bearers and joists combined with JamesHardie products have a unique role to play in this type ofsensitive environment. They are already being used in a numberof innovative developments: Brookwater, Murrays Beach andTreetops at Tarragindi.

The impact ofconstruction

Bearer and joist constructionwith James Hardie products

minimises site disturbance

Read case studies on smart housing construction atBrookwater at http://jameshardie.com.au/brookwater

Read case studies on design innovations at MurraysBeach at http://jameshardie.com.au/murraysbeach


We can understand some of the long termenvironmental impact of building materials by lookingat the costs of maintenance, repair and replacement.

In choosing between alternative building materials onthe basis of embodied energy, not only should we consider theinitial materials, but also the materials consumed over the lifeof the building during maintenance, repair and replacement. Asbuildings are becoming more energy efficient in their operation,their embodied energy is approaching half the lifetime energyconsumption.28

A sustainable approach would also have us look beyond theperiod of our ownership. After all, sustainability is not just aboutthe now, but also the state in which we leave the world for others.In looking at maintenance and repair, the common bugbears are

The impactover the life

painting and cracking. More devastating replacement causes arebushfire and hurricane.

Most frequent maintenance item: paintingA key aspect of maintenance is repainting. Of the 16 millionsquare metres of walls on new homes, over a third is renderedand painted.29 In their report on Australian Social Trends, 2002,the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that over half (57%)of all occupied dwellings in Australia were reported to be in needof some repairs. Painting was the most common type of repair ormaintenance work carried out.


James Hardie’s products beat the dreaded seven year paintcycle. In particular, Taubmans feels so confident about Scyon™

Linea™ and PrimeLine® weatherboard claddings, that they’ve giventwo of their paints (Sun Proof Max® and All Weather®) a 15 yearwarranty on them.31 That’s three years longer than the standardwarranty on one, and 15 years longer on the other, respectively!

Wattyl Technical Manager John Rankin, compares James Hardieproducts to timber and says that “coated fibre reinforced cementwill maintain its integrity and general appearance significantly longerthan timber”, which is prone to cracking in exterior applications.This in turn can lead to shrinking or warping. Products like JamesHardie’s Scyon™ Linea™ and PrimeLine® weatherboards resistshrinking, swelling and cracking to hold paint longer than wood,and can also be painted dark as well as light colours.

Repair nightmare: crackingRecent statistics compiled by Archicentre, the building advisoryservice of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, revealed thatmore than 35% of houses in most states are experiencing crackingas the ground has dried out in the current drought conditions.“When the soil dries out, strain is put on the house structure andcracks can appear overnight,” says Archicentre general managerDavid Hallett.32

Independent building inspector David Hall, says older double-brick homes have been the most susceptible with minorsymptoms – fine cracks along cornices, and doors that don’tshut properly – to major symptoms like holes in walls.

“It’s not worth spending the $80,000 on underpinning thefoundations to stop cracking if it’s been caused by drought,” saysHall. “Once the rain comes, the ground will shift again. If we returnto drought, the cracks will come back”.33

Award-winning US architect Peter Pfeiffer, specialises in greenbuilding practices. He’s spent 20 years developing methods tomainstream green building. When it came to creating his ownhome, he looked no further than James Hardie products. “It isbetter than the other … products because it does have someflexibility to it,” he says. “When we’re doing homes in areas wherewe’ve got moving soils ... we tend to want to use less masonry… If a house flexes, the siding (fibre cement weatherboard) canhandle it. If a house flexes a bit and the house is clad in masonry,stone or brick, you get cracks.”

Watch a video of Peter Pfeiffer speaking about buildingat http://jameshardie.com.au/pfeiffer

PAINTING 35%PLUMBING 26%ELECTRICAL WORK 18%ROOF REPAIR 12%

8%TILE REPAIR

12%OTHER REPAIRS

% OF ALL OCCUPIED DWELLINGS

Types of repairs or maintenanceundertaken in previous year – 199930

James Hardie’s products beatthe seven year paint cycle


ArchicentreArchicentre has more than 900 architects Australia-wide who

are available in nearly every suburb and just about any region.

They can undertake a range of professional services, from

pre-purchase house inspections to new home and renovation

design reports. Archicentre also distributes free technical

advice to thousands of home buyers across the country,

through their Architect’s Advice line and Homebuyer

Seminars run in most States.

They have offices in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide,

Perth and Hobart and branches in many regional centres.

The only registered master builder to be recognised by the USEnergy and Environmental Building Association, Jim Sargent,advocates houses built from fibre cement because he considersthem stronger than ones with brick cladding. “That’s hard for somepeople to understand,” he says. “(But) … this is a concrete [fibrecement] house. And I’ve got more bracing in this house, becauseof the way the concrete’s attached, than I would if it were a brickveneer house.”

The American experience is similar to Australian approaches.National Technical Manager for James Hardie, Anthony Milostic,comments that where this often becomes an issue is in regionalareas with highly reactive soils. “Commonly accepted wisdom isthat you don’t build in double brick in those areas,” he says. “Youreally need to use products that can cope with some flexing, likeour weatherboards for example.”

The effects of rain – still a problem afterthousands of years of buildingA key contributor to minimising long term life cycle costs isproduct durability. Dr John Straube is Assistant Professor of CivilEngineering and Architecture at the University of Waterloo in theUS. He has observed a seachange from 30 years ago when

durability was something people gave scant thought to. “One ofthe biggest problems … is rain penetration. This is a challengewe’ve been working on for several thousand years. An architecturalcommentator by the name of Vitruvius from 70 BC … said that rainwas the biggest problem. It remains so in many markets aroundthe world.

“That’s been one area that I’ve researched, to quantify howmuch rain hits walls, how it moves through walls, how to stopleaks, decay and so on. It ends up being the number onechallenge for durability. A product like this (James Hardie) siding,allows you to use a certain rain control strategy like drainage andventilation, and that is also becoming the de facto standard ofperformance. That comes built right into the James Hardieproduct when installed.”

This is supported by James Hardie product testing inaccordance with AS/NZS 2908.2. The resistance of James Hardieproducts to permanent moisture-induced deterioration (rotting) isdemonstrated by passing the following tests:

• Water permeability (Clause 8.2.2)• Warm water (Clause 8.2.4)• Heat rain (Clause 6.5)• Soak dry (Clause 8.2.5).

Rain ends up being the number onechallenge for durability

Watch a video of Dr Straube’s interviewat http://jameshardie.com.au/straube


A vapour permeable membrane with the following properties(in accordance with AS 4200.1) must be installed under all JamesHardie external cladding:

• Vapour barrier – low or medium• Water barrier – high.

The function of the vapour permeable membrane is toprevent moisture ingress by acting as a “drainage plane” whilstenabling water vapour build up from inside the frame to escape.Products suitable for this are traditional building papers likeDuPont™ Tyvek®.34

The hidden thief – termitesIf the costs of maintenance and repair are two significantcontributors to the long term life cycle cost of products, thenreplacement is the third. A 2006 Archicentre study, based onArchicentre’s database of over 80,000 pre-purchase buildinginspections reports, concluded that termite attack appeared tobe increasing. The report indicated that the average cost of pesttreatment in 2006 is approximately $2,500 and the average costof repairs of damage is approximately $4,500. However, damagerepair figures can vary markedly. The cycle time (from initialtermite attack, through awareness by home owner, treatmentand confirmation of eradication) is about five years.

Number of households in Australia 7.2 millionEstimated number affected by termites (9%) 650,000Average cycle time 5 yearsEstimated number of new attacks per annum 130,000Average rectification cost $7,000Estimated annual cost per annum $910 million

Based on testing completed by CSIRO Division of ForestProducts, James Hardie fibre cement has demonstratedresistance to termite attack.35 Of course, cladding is not the onlyproduct to be considered when designing homes to withstandtermite attack. The termite resistant properties of framematerials for example, also need to be considered.

Watch a video on the resistance of James Hardie fibre cementto termite attack, visit http://jameshardie.com.au/termites

James Hardie fibre cementhas demonstrated

resistance to termite attack

For further information on moisture management refer towww.jameshardie.com.au

J A M E S H A R D I E�0

Surviving bushfireIn Australia, property replacement due to bushfire is a real threatto many home owners. Macquarie University’s Natural HazardsResearch Centre estimates that 4.1% of homes nationally fall intothe extreme/high fire zone36 and over half of those (56%) are in theGreater Sydney region.37

Fibre cement building products are ideal for use in Australianbushfire-prone areas due to their fire resistant properties. This isevident from the BCA (Section C1.10a) deeming fibre cement asnon-combustible.

In addition, real-world fire situations show that fibre cementcladding is more resistant to flames than many other claddingproducts, with firefighters reporting it has barely singed in thehottest of blazes.

In St. Paul (Minneapolis, US), a townhouse under constructioncaught fire, producing one of the hottest fires firefighters there canremember. The fire reached such proportions that two fire truckssitting about 20 metres from the building caught fire, and treesacross the street were burned.

Read the Technical Bulletin for examples of real-life situationsat http://jameshardie.com.au/firebulletin

Watch the video of US firefighters talking about fibre cement athttp://jameshardie.com.au/firevideo

For more information on bushfire construction, read theBushfire Design Manual at http://jameshardie.com.au/bushfiredesign

Lying undamaged within three metres of the destroyed buildingwas a stack of fibre cement cladding. A building about 15 metresaway, on which the cladding had already been placed, alsoremained intact, aside from some broken windows.

“We feel that the cement siding is probably what saved thestructure,” says Jack Hoffman, A-Shift deputy chief for theSt. Paul Fire Department.38

Of course, cladding is not the only element that needs to be

�1T H E S M A R T E R G R E E N B O O K

considered when designing homes for bushfire-prone areas. Arecent study on bushfire risk at the urban interface39 reviewed anumber of post-bushfire surveys to show that the most prominentfeatures involved in direct ignition by ember were timber decks(19%) followed by eaves and gutters (17%), and then windowframes (10%).

Hurricane Katrina – the only house standingFinally, increased hurricane risk is a devastating consequence ofour climate change crisis. When Hurricane Katrina slammed intothe Gulf Coast, about 15,000 homes were destroyed in the coastaltown of Bay St Louis and neighbouring Waveland. Larry Martinand his wife Kim, were among those able to return to a house stillstanding. Larry credits their good fortune to a decision the couplemade a few years ago to build their home from James Hardie fibrecement and to have it installed by an experienced contractor.

“Compared to other homes in our area, this close to the beach,most aren’t even standing. They’re just obliterated. Even the brickhouse down the street, the brick collapsed,” he says. “I’m notreplacing HardiPlank on this house; this thing’s intact. If it hadbeen some other siding or brick I’d probably have to replace thewhole thing. If you’re going to build a house, you want it to last.”

In review, some of the things to consider when choosing building

materials are the costs over the life of the building of maintenance,repair and replacement. Key maintenance issues are painting andcracking, and key repair and replacement issues are damage fromtermite, bushfire or storms.

When installed and maintained correctly, James Hardie fibrecement products are:

Watch a video of Larry Martin athttp://jameshardie.com.au/hurricanevideo

If you’re goingto build a house,

you want it to last


The impacton peopleEnergy efficiency ratings don’t necessarily equateto actual thermal comfort. Current mandatedratings are also far from best practice standards.What are the design drivers for ratings approvaland comfortable homes?

Regulating standards of housing thermal efficiency is allaimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, as theBuilding Codes Board notes in its energy efficiency performancerequirements: “The primary goal is not occupant comfort. Themeasures are based on achieving an internal environment in whichoccupants may not be comfortable, but the conditions aresufficiently tolerable for occupants to minimise their use of artificialheating, cooling or lighting.”40

Trying to achieve both good ratings and occupant comfortshould begin with a good understanding of the fact that ahouse is a microcosm, with a number of interdependentcomponents that work together to create the thermal comfort.

Not all components are equalThe microcosm includes building components that don’t allcontribute equally to the energy efficiency of a house. This idea issupported by research undertaken by the Centre for a SustainableBuilt Environment at the University of New South Wales.

“A simple simulation can show the impact of improving the majorconstruction elements of a typical single-storey house in ClimateZone 6 [for example Melbourne and surrounding suburbs],” saysSteve King, former Associate Director of the Centre. “The biggestcontributor to improved winter heating performance is frominsulating the roof and ceiling. Insulating these areas reducesenergy use by approximately one third.”

��T H E S M A R T E R G R E E N B O O K

If all elements are addressed, including having a concrete slabon ground rather than a suspended, uncarpeted timber floor, theoverall heating capacity required – that is, the minimum size of theheating equipment, versus the total likely energy used – is reducedto less than 30% of that for the uninsulated house, as the resultsin the table below show. It is also clear that far less additionalcapacity remains to improve overall performance by increasingthe insulation value of the walls. The most potential improvementremaining is the reduction of glazed areas, or the substitution ofdouble-glazing.41

This simulation compares only the heating capacity needed to maintain thermalcomfort on a cold night. It does not predict the reduction in overall heating load asgiven by the rating software.

Glazing is the weakest linkKing notes that like insulation, glazing is a building componentthat contributes disproportionately to ratings. In an unpublishedstudy of 240 typical houses on the Victorian and New South Walesmarket, star ratings appeared to be directly related to the overallproportion of glazing and none achieved a 5 star rating if itsglazing ratio was in excess of approximately 26% of its floor area.Even with modest glazing ratios, the star ratings were quitesensitive to the distribution of orientations of the glazing.

The sample represents a large variety of house sizes andconstruction methods, of single and double storey. Generalorientations and the distribution of glazing orientations vary widelyand, in the comparison, all houses were simulated with concreteslab on ground floors and conventional eaves. Appropriateinsulation levels for Climate Zone 6 are assumed.

The glazing in a wall is considered to be the weakest factor inthose contributing to group thermal performance. If poorly chosen,sized, oriented or protected, glazing allows too much solarradiation into the building causing overheating in summer. Inaddition, overglazing causes excessive heat losses in winter.

There are many styles of windows on the market and each hasvarious degrees of energy efficiency, light transmittance, noisecontrol and security. Choosing the correct glass type, configurationand window frame (an increasingly important factor), will determinethe window’s energy efficiency performance.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

100%NOINSULATIONPROVIDED

67%INSULATINGONLY THEROOF

54%INSULATINGTHE ROOFAND FLOOR

43%ROOF ANDFLOORINSULATION+ EXCLUSIONOF DRAUGHTS

35%INSULATINGTHE ROOF,FLOOR ANDWALLS +DRAUGHTEXCLUSION

27%ALL THEPREVIOUS +INSULATINGTHE WINDOWS

Progressive contributionby insulation to savings in heating

Glazing to rating comparison

A house is a microcosm, with anumber of components that

work together to createthermal comfort


Floors are more important than wallsA rating simulation study was undertaken in late 2006 for JamesHardie. Anthony Nolan, an architect and accredited Assessor withthe firm Kennedy Associates Architects, rated a typical doublestorey project home in selected climate zones (Sydney, Brisbane,Melbourne and Perth; using AccuRate).

The home was chosen for the simulation because it was similarto many homes on the market today and to those cited in otherprevious studies in floor plan design and elevation, as well asproportion and distribution of glazing.

Reviewing the house rating after changing floor materials for eachof a number of selected wall systems demonstrates that it’s thethermal mass in the slab rather than the walls that had the far biggerimpact on the house rating. When keeping all other constructionvariables constant aside from walls, the study showed that, with thepossible exception of Brisbane, the insulated fibre cement homerated very similarly to the insulated brick veneer and double brickhomes in each climate zone.

4.3BRICKVENEER

3.9CAVITYBRICK

4.2FIBRECEMENT

3.9BRICKVENEER

3.5CAVITYBRICK

3.8FIBRECEMENT

3.7BRICKVENEER

3.4CAVITYBRICK

3.5FIBRECEMENT

BEARERS & JOISTS PARTICLEBOARDSLAB ON GROUND SUSPENDED SLAB

Sydney

The insulated fibre cement homerated very similarly to theinsulated brick veneer anddouble brick homes ineach climate zone

Wall systemsSydney star ratings results

Heat gain and loss

Heat loss through various glass treatments

Unprotected single glazingDouble glazingDouble glazing with low-e coating

Heat loss through various window frames

Single glazed industry typical aluminiumSingle glazed thermally improved aluminiumDouble glazed industry typical aluminiumDouble glazed thermally improved aluminium

Heat gain through various glass treatments

Unshaded single glazed windowDouble glazingInternal vertical blinds/open weave drapesTinted glass*A

Solar control film/reflective glass*B

Trees – full shade to light shade1m eaves over north wall

2m pergola over north wall with deciduousvines or shade cloth

Outside metal blind or miniature louvres

parallel and close to window

*A Effectiveness is reduced as the colour darkens.*B Solar film, tinted glass and reflective glass of varying effectiveness isavailable. They significantly reduce light levels all year round.42

100%69%57%

100%87%72%60%

100%90%76%

40%-65%20%-60%20%-60%

30%

20%

15%-20%


Data that supports this conclusion is presented in the followingtables. (It’s also worth noting that the home did not rate above4.4 stars at any time and frequently rated below the minimumacceptable level of 4 stars. Design changes will need to be madeto this home in order to have it comply with the current standardsin some locations).

Orientation changes didn’t significantly affect results either, as isshown in the table overleaf. This confirms initial impressions thatmany project homes are quite orientation-neutral.

Assessor Anthony Nolan noted that the study home has arelatively small glazed area – about 25% of the floor area – and,in the base case, only 26% of the glazing is oriented to the north.The longest sides face north and south but as these sides of thebuilding face the boundary, the majority of the glazing (32%) – inthe ground floor living areas – faces east. “This means the designof the study house is also relatively orientation-neutral,” he says.

3.9BRICKVENEER

3.1CAVITYBRICK

4.0FIBRECEMENT

3.6BRICKVENEER

2.8CAVITYBRICK

3.6FIBRECEMENT

3.5BRICKVENEER

2.8CAVITYBRICK

3.5FIBRECEMENT


Orientation changes didn’tsignificantly affect results ...

many project homes areorientation-neutral

Melbourne

4.3BRICKVENEER

4.4CAVITYBRICK

4.2FIBRECEMENT

3.9BRICKVENEER

3.9CAVITYBRICK

3.8FIBRECEMENT

3.6BRICKVENEER

3.7CAVITYBRICK

3.4FIBRECEMENT


Brisbane

Ratings vs comfortWhilst the differences in ratings across the different wall systemswere relatively minor in the James Hardie simulation study, therewere a couple of interesting anomalies that cropped up whichseemed to run counter to both accepted wisdom and anecdotalexperience.

For example, looking again at the ratings for Brisbane, younotice that the more massive house (cavity brick) rates slightlybetter than the lighter weight house (insulated fibre cement), withratings of 4.4 and 4.2 respectively. Although these differences arerelatively minor, the common expectation would be that the homethat is able to cool down more rapidly in response to the hottertemperatures, would rate better in the Brisbane climate than thehouse that is storing heat. This is where it’s instructive to look atthe differences in internal temperatures.

Wall systemsMelbourne star ratings results

Wall systemsBrisbane star ratings results

J A M E S H A R D I E��

SLAB ON GROUNDHE

ATIN

G

BRICK VENEER

ORIENTATIONCO

OLIN

GS

COOL

ING

L

27.6 26.9 7.1 61.6 4.3 100%

31.5 21.1 6.7 59.3 4.4 96%

35.0 33.0 7.7 75.7 3.7 123%

30.8 24.3 7.6 62.7 4.3 102%

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

0 degrees

90 degrees

180 degrees

270 degrees

TOTA

L

STAR

S

%OF

BASE

CASE

CAVITY BRICK

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

0 degrees

90 degrees

180 degrees

270 degrees

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

Sydney

0 degrees

90 degrees

180 degrees

270 degrees

38.2 24.5 8.1 70.8 3.9 115%

46.0 20.3 7.7 74.0 3.8 120%

49.6 28.9 8.4 86.9 3.3 141%

43.0 23.1 8.9 75.0 3.7 122%

LOCATION

28.6 27.9 7.0 63.5 4.2 103%

31.8 22.4 6.6 60.8 4.4 99%

35.7 34.6 7.6 77.9 3.6 126%

31.9 25.7 7.5 65.1 4.1 106%

FIBRE CEMENT

Table notes:

Heating refers to heating load in megajoules per square metre.

Cooling loads (Cooling S) incorporate sensible and latent measures,

and indicate the total cooling energy required per square metre of the

house for an entire year.

Cooling latent (Cooling L) refers to the loads generated in AccuRate

that take into account the cooling effect of air movement over the skin.

Total is the total amount of energy required to heat and cool the house

over a year, in megajoules of energy per square metre.

The ‘base case’ is brick veneer in Sydney with a slab on ground.

Every other percentage is a proportion worse (if the number is higher) or

better (if the number is lower) than the base case.

Orientation is relative to north (0 degrees).

Stars refers to the star rating generated by AccuRate.

Temperatures of fibrecement were cooler

when needed: at night

As the study house is double storey, the temperatures in theground level living areas are less subject to outside influenceand could be expected to be fairly similar regardless of wallconstruction. Therefore, to gauge the impact on real livingpatterns, the temperatures in the master bedroom were reviewed.The first comparison of a year’s inside air temperatures, withoutany airconditioning, shows that the time spent at eachtemperature was very similar, despite the different rating.

Ratings results for different orientations


Days and times (24 hour)

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

24-1

24-9

24-17

25-1

25-9

25-17

26-1

26-9

26-17

27-1

27-9

27-17

28-1

28-9

28-17

1-1

1-9

1-17

2-1

2-9

2-17

Cavity brickFibre cement

Degr

ees

Cels

ius

Brisbane comparison

However, a second comparison of actual temperatures for thecavity brick and the insulated fibre cement houses (again simulatedwithout airconditioning), during a warm week in summer, showsthat in the bedroom zone, the temperatures in the fibre cementwere marginally cooler when needed: at night.

Comparison of total hours spent at each temperature

Temperature comparison for summer week (February 24 to March 2)


Melbourne comparisonAnother interesting anomaly found in the James Hardie simulationstudy related to the slab on ground house in Melbourne wherethe insulated fibre cement house rated marginally better than thecavity brick house (4 to 3.1 respectively). Once again this appearsto fly in the face of the accepted Australian approach, which is toincorporate more mass in cooler climates. (Of course, in the USand New Zealand, framed construction and lightweight claddinghave long been used in cool climates).

A look at the living room temperatures in the study house fora typical cold week in Melbourne confirms that the lighter weighthouse not only rated better, but that it was marginally morecomfortable internally. This tends to add weight to the view thata massive house that has not been well designed to capture solarenergy will feel colder. Or, to put it another way, to really derivethe benefit of thermal mass, you also have to be much morecareful with the location of it, as well as the orientation andwindow design.

A common myth is that tocreate energy-efficient houses,high thermal mass is essential.

This isn’t quite correct

Read the case study athttp://jameshardie.com.au/livingbenchmarks

Temperature comparison for winter week (July 22 to July 28)


Perth comparisonIn Perth, many builders say they prefer double brick because ofits thermal properties. However, the rating results for the cavitybrick house and the fibre cement house were virtually the same,3.9 stars and 3.7 stars respectively. This is similar to the results forBrisbane. In that instance, comparison of inside living temperaturesfor the insulated fibre cement house, versus the double brickhouse, show that over a full year, the time spent at eachtemperature was very similar, despite the slightly different rating.

Comparison of total hours spent at each temperature


Rating of the future?

Like the majority of developed rating systems, the Accurate

software used for the James Hardie study house simulates

building performance in terms of predicted relative annual

energy requirements. The software assumes that mechanical

cooling and heating systems are used to make the inside of

the home comfortable, and therefore rates the home on the

extent to which it minimises the per square metre energy

requirement. However, as we’ve seen earlier, that does not

necessarily reduce the overall amount of energy used to make

the home comfortable. Some buildings are actually designed

to operate in what’s called ‘free running’ mode, that is, without

any mechanical heating or cooling. In some quarters, there has

been a longstanding concern that buildings designed to be

free running may actually be disadvantaged to an extent using

current rating software, and may achieve better results using

a more appropriate rating system. This issue was the focus of

recent research by University of New South Wales PhD student,

Maria Kordjamshidi.43

Kordjamshidi concludes that “design for a conditioned

building is reasonably related to the building envelope

characteristics and fabric of the building. Ultimately, it relates to

those attributes that protect or isolate the building interior from

the environmental loads, to maintain indoor thermal comfort

conditions with minimum energy consumption to overcome

those loads,” she says. “However, the determinants of free-

running performance are more complex, as has long been

implied by the alternative terminology ‘climate responsive’.”

Kordjamshidi goes on to recommend the implementation of

a more sophisticated rating tool. “It seems self-evident that an

energy rating should aim to be a reliable technique to assess

energy efficient design,” she says. “This study supports

commonly held views that there is a need to develop a house

rating scheme for free-running buildings. Since, in a moderate

climate the criteria for enhancing the thermal behaviour of

free-running buildings can be shown to differ from those for

buildings operated in a conditioned mode, the former cannot

be evaluated in an energy rating model.”

Challenging common misconceptionsA common myth is that to create energy-efficient houses, highthermal mass is essential. This isn’t quite correct. If thermal massis held to be essential to thermally comfortable design, how is itpossible that the incorporation of a wall system with high mass –double brick – produced no real advantages in the James Hardiestudy home?

To answer this, it’s important to understand how mass works.Your Home Technical Manual explains it simply: “Thermal mass actsas a ‘thermal battery’…Thermal mass stores and re-radiates heat.”44

Poorly used thermal mass can amplify the worst climateextremes and take a huge toll on energy use and comfort. “As arule of thumb the best place for thermal mass is inside theinsulated building envelope,” advises Your Home Technical Manual.

The best place for mass is insideInside the house, connecting thermal mass with the earth via aslab on ground is usually the most effective for summer and winterenergy efficiency. Whilst bricks have high thermal mass, the out-side of the wall is far from the best place for them. Here the YourHome Technical Manual advises: “They are effectively doing thesame job as weatherboards.”

Thermal mass is most suited to climates with a significanttemperature fluctuation between day and night. Thermal mass

What is thermal mass?

Thermal mass refers to the ability of a material to absorb and

store heat energy. A lot of heat energy is required to change the

temperature of high density materials like concrete, bricks and

tiles. They are therefore said to have high thermal mass and

can store a lot of heat energy. Lightweight materials such as

timber have low thermal mass and store very little heat energy.


Reverse mass construction is a good way to locate thermalmass. Incorporating reverse mass construction mainly improvedheating scores (heating results are almost half of cavity brick)although cooling is also improved due to the exposure of themass to the interior of the building (cooling results are similarto cavity brick).

The reverse mass construction home also achieved 5 stars in allclimate zones and some orientations, without any other changesneeded. This was not the case for the other wall systems.

R-values are important – but are not an absoluteindicator of rating resultIn the James Hardie simulation study a range of wall systemswith different R-values were modelled. Whilst the R-values ofthe brick veneer and fibre cement systems were similar, they aremuch higher than the R-value of the cavity brick system, and yetneither of the wall systems had any significant effect on the ratingof the house. In contrast, the wall system with the highest R-value– reverse mass construction – did perform differently but this waslikely to be the result of well located and insulated high and lowmass building materials.

What are R-values?

Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow and is essential

to keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer.

An appropriately insulated and well designed home will

provide year-round comfort, cutting cooling and heating

bills by up to half. This, in turn, will reduce greenhouse

emissions. To compare the insulating ability of products

and construction systems, look at their R-value, which

measures resistance to heat flow.

SLAB ON GROUND

HEAT

ING

REVERSE BRICK VENEER (R2.5)

COOL

ING

S

COOL

ING

L

Sydney

Melbourne

Brisbane

TOTA

L

STAR

%OF

BASE

CASE

LOCATION

21.0 21.7 7.3 50.0 5.0 81%

154.8 23.9 2.4 181.1 4.3 91%

11.4 29.2 12.8 53.4 5.1 82%

solutions are therefore recommended for most Australian citiesthat fall within the temperate or cool temperate climate zones.

Your Home Technical Manual suggests that reverse massconstruction – which puts the thermal mass on the inside of ahighly insulated wall frame to protect it from external temperatureextremes – is a far better system for including thermal mass inwalls. Results from the James Hardie simulation study support thisrecommendation.

Whilst the study shows that the thermal mass of the slabconnected to the earth was a bigger driver of ratings than wallmaterials – with the high mass cavity brick system rating worsethan other systems in Melbourne and Sydney most reverse massconstruction rated better than all other wall systems, and not justin the cooler climate of Melbourne.

Reverse mass construction was simulated with R2.5 insulation and a 90mm frame;products available today can be used in this scenario.

Reverse brick veneer rating results


A guide to the R-values of systems using James Hardie fibrecements products is illustrated below.

The drivers of energy-efficient designPritzker prize-winning Australian architect Glenn Murcutt says:“The problem we have mostly is the buildings we’re putting up aretotally inappropriate. From Darwin to Melbourne to WesternAustralia, it’s a disease. There are so many horrible, horribledevelopments and yet, the people are taught to love these things.They’ve all got to have airconditioning because they’re built thewrong way around.”45

When designing and building the right way round, four factorsshould be kept in mind.

Reduce the external “loads”While this term may sound excessively technical, it boils down toprotecting the dwelling from those climate factors that increase heatlosses in the winter or cause overheating in the summer, namely:

• Provide shade in summer, especially to glazed areas,using eaves, other overhangs, sunshades and appropriatesun-shading plants. As guidance, the following table (overleaf)is provided giving suggestions on different shadingtypes for different orientations

Whilst bricks have high thermalmass, the outside of the wall is

far from the best place for them

The above table must be read in conjunction with the notes outlined in the James Hardie R-values technical supplement at http://jameshardie.com.au/rvalues

For more detail, see the R-values technical supplementat http://jameshardie.com.au/rvalues

WALL CONFIGURATION INSULATION

Timber frame

70 or 90 600 0.41

70 or 90 600 0.90

70 or 90 600 0.90

70 or 90 600 R1.5 1.72

90 600 R2.0 2.22

90 600 R2.5 2.72

120 600 R3.0 3.22

Metal frame

Thermal break installed. (Thermal break must have a minimum value R0.2)When a thermal break is installed, the above timber frame total R-values may be used.

No thermal break installed.

90 450 R2.0 1.50

90 600 R2.0 1.60

90 450 R2.5 1.70

90 600 R2.5 1.90

WALL SYSTEM THERMAL PERFORMANCE TOTAL R-VALUES

Wall frame

James Hardie®

external cladding

Vapour permeablemembrane, singleor double reflectivevapour permeablemembrane.

Bulk insulation

Min. 6mm Villaboard®

lining or 10mmplasterboard lining,see note 6.

Frame width

Vapo

urpe

rmea

ble

mem

bran

e

Max

imum

stud

spac

ing

(mm

)

Fram

eW

idth

(mm

)

Sin

gle

refle

ctiv

eva

pour

perm

eabl

em

embr

ane

Dou

ble

refle

ctiv

eva

pour

perm

eabl

em

embr

ane

Tota

lR-v

alue

(sum

mer

orw

inte

r)m

2.K

/W

Bul

kIn

sula

tion

External cladding fixed direct to frame: Scyon™ Axon™ cladding, Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboard, HardiFlex® sheets, PanelClad® sheets,HardiTex® system, HardiPlank® cladding, PrimeLine® weatherboard and the D3-ComTex® facade system.


• Provide shelter from cold winds; this mainly involves sitedesign including landscaping, but also such things as beingable to enter the house through an airlock space such as thelobby or a laundry

• Orient the building and place windows to avoid excess solargain through glazing. The building design must complementthe building site’s orientation. High performing glazing can alsobe used to reduce the solar gain

• Generally use light colours, especially for the roof, to reflectrather than absorb solar heat

• Seal up gaps in the construction as draughts can accountfor significant heat loss from a home in winter. Specialattention should be made to gaps around openable assemblessuch as windows and doors. Heat loss and gain can occur byair infiltration, resulting in thermal comfort issues.

Shading

Direct solar radiation through windows can dramatically

increase the cooling load for houses. Considering that direct

sun can generate the same heat as a single bar radiator over

each square metre of surface, shading is one of the most cost

effective measures in any good design. Shading devices can

reduce the solar radiation onto a building by up to 90% without

any occupant intervention.

A shading projection must be a permanent feature including

a veranda, fixed canopy, eaves, soffit, or shading hood. Eaves

and overhangs play an important part in controlling sun

penetration through windows, and also protect the rest of the

building fabric from the worst effects of weathering. A one

metre-long eave over a north wall can reduce solar gain by up

to 30% for the storey beneath the eaves.

Building elements such as a vertical or horizontal building

screen can also be used as a shading device. However, such

devices need to be designed for the climate and latitude to

ensure that the summer sun penetration is restricted, while

the winter sun access is achieved. Also, light coloured shading

devices will also absorb less and reflect more heat.

Horizontal devices on north facing walls will generally be

narrower compared to shading devices installed on east and

west facing walls due to the higher angled sun. South-facing

walls above the Tropic of Capricorn can be treated as a north-

facing wall.

Generally, fixed shading devices such as eaves, canopies

and correctly orientated louvre shades are suitable for north

facing walls. Fixed horizontal louvres spaced correctly allow

winter heating and summer shading in locations with cooler

winters. Greater attention must be given to east and west

facing walls due to the lower angle of the sun including wider

eaves and verandas.

Waterline, Bulimba, Brisbane, QLD. Mirvac using steel privacy screens and jut out walldetail in Scyon™ Linea weatherboard.

Fixed or adjustable shading placed horizontally above the windowAdjustable vertical screens outside windowAdjustable shadingPlanting

Orientation Suggested Shading Type

NorthEast & WestNE & NWSE & SW

Direct sun can generatethe same heat as asingle bar radiator


Use “free heating” or passive solar designWhat’s passive solar design?On average, 39% of energy consumed in Australian homes isspace heating and cooling. Using passive solar design dramaticallyreduces this figure. Put simply, design for passive solar heating isabout keeping summer sun out and letting winter sun in.46 This canbe achieved by:

• Good orientation of glazing. A northern orientation withappropriate shading is generally an advantage. Standarddesigns can often be significantly improved by good sitingand attention to window placement.

• Appropriate thermal mass. Significant internal surface areas ofappropriate materials are needed to absorb the solar gainduring the day, and return that heat to the living space in theevenings. High thermal mass includes reinforced concreteslabs, water tanks and dense concrete or brick internal walls.

Use “free cooling”What’s free or passive cooling?The majority of Australian climates require some cooling forcomfort during at least part of the summer. Passive cooling is theleast expensive means of cooling a home, has the lowestenvironmental impact and can be achieved to some degree in allAustralian climates. Passive cooling maximises the efficiency ofthe building envelope by minimising heat gain from the externalenvironment and making use of natural sources of cooling.47

This is achieved by good ventilation design:

• Incorporate cross ventilation. Use well designed securableopenings that can be left open at night, to capture prevailingbreezes. Good ventilation reduces the perception of discomfortwhen it’s too hot, and helps remove the built up warm air fromthe building interior. Use well designed securable openings thatcan be left open at night, to capture the prevailing breezes

Night-time ventilation can make use of cooler air to reduce thetemperature of the building fabric.

• Employ appropriate thermal mass. This is often ignored, butis equally important if the dwelling is to remain cool as longas possible into a hot day. Thermal mass inside a building’sfabric, such as a concrete slab and reverse mass construction,can be very effective in this role. On the other hand, highmass materials on the outside of the building can slow downthe passage of heat from the outside to the inside. But takecare, this can actually be a disadvantage if the heat arriveswhen the occupants are ready to sleep.

• Using lightweight cladding building materials can deliversignificant benefits on warm days because of the materials’inherent ability to cool rapidly at night. This can give relief tosleeping areas in the night.

Use compact building formsHistorically, larger houses have found it easier to achieve higherstar ratings, simply because they have a lower ratio of externalsurface to plan area. This has tended to obscure the fact that inspite of their better star ratings, larger houses on the whole wouldstill use more energy for heating and cooling than smaller houses.

Parrafield, Adelaide, SA. Rivergum Homes using HardiTex system.


The Not So Big House

US architect Sarah Susanka shot to national prominence with

her groundbreaking first book, The Not So Big House

(Taunton, 1998). Throughout the book she discusses what’s

wrong with the way we think of houses today and what we

could do differently. She encourages home owners and design

professionals to focus on quality rather than quantity – what

makes us feel comfortable rather than what impresses the

neighbours. Introducing The Not So Big House, Susanka

recounts her experience designing her own house.

“I wanted our house to combine the beauty of the big house

with the efficiency of a small one,” she says. “Rather than

spend our money on square footage we wouldn’t use, we

decided to put the money toward making the house an

expression of our personalities.”

Susanka goes on to describe the battle she and her husband

then had with their banker because the institutions, like banks,

which dictate the value and resale of houses, demanded all the

extra spaces they knew they’d never use.

“As I described to him (the banker) my frustration with

designing large houses with rarely used formal spaces and my

vision to put a different home model into the marketplace, his

demeanour suddenly changed,” she says.

“Suddenly, he was telling us about his own house … and

admitting that, in 25 years, his family had never sat in the

living room. The banker, who at first appeared to be our

biggest obstacle, became our strongest advocate.”

Use appropriate insulationInsulation reduces the rate of heat flow through the externalelements of the building. Its value is directly proportional to thearea of the building fabric to which it is applied.

• High standards of insulation are most effective in theroof/ceiling system.

• There is a marginal rate of return for improved insulation.In each climate zone there is an optimum level of addedinsulation for each of the major elements of construction,going beyond which little or no additional benefit is obtained.

• In warmer climate zones it is even possible to over insulate,where the insulation actually prevents the dwelling fromcooling down quickly enough in the evenings.

These are general principles, of course, and there are a number ofspecific design techniques that could be incorporated dependingupon the climate. These are outlined in the next section:Putting it all together.

Waterline, Bulimba, QLD. HardiTex system, balcony detail in HardiPanel® compressedsheets, steel privacy screen.


Next You’re Home is using James Hardie products to lead the way in energyefficient design.

Types of insulation

Bulk insulation is the most common form of insulation. It is

able to resist the transfer of conducted heat through the

millions of tiny pockets of still air trapped within the material.

Bulk insulation material can consist of glass fibre, rockwool,

polyester and wool batts. Bulk insulation must be installed in

compliance with AS3999.

Reflective insulation is another form of insulation that mainly

reduces radiant heat flow due to its high reflectivity and low

emissivity, that is, a poor ability to re-radiate heat. It relies on

the presence of an air layer next to the shiny surface. The shiny

surface is usually aluminium foil laminated onto paper or

plastic, and is available as sheets, concertina-type batts and

multi- cell batts. Together, these products are known as

reflective foil laminates or ‘RFL’. Reflective foil insulation must

be installed in compliance with AS1904.

Cavity construction is not only an effective means of

managing moisture, but important in improving the overall

thermal performance of a lightweight clad wall. As air is a poor

conductor of heat, the ability for the wall system to resist heat

transfer is increased, adding to the wall’s total R-value. The

greatest benefit comes when a reflective vapour permeable

membrane is installed to the wall frame, facing the cavity. A

frame system allows a combination of insulations to be used,

for example, reflective and bulk insulation, to produce an even

higher R-value.

Cavity construction canimprove the overall thermalperformance of alightweight clad wall

A new company, Next You’re Home, started by industry stalwartRoss Lang in Adelaide, has achieved a 9 star rating on its firstdemonstration home. By using a range of innovative designtechniques combined with James Hardie products, it has achieveda standout energy efficiency rating as well as streetscape harmonyin this sensitive heritage-listed inner Adelaide suburb.

Watch the video case study on this home athttp://jameshardie.com.au/nextyourehome


Finally, while not currently regulated in houses, indoorair quality is another healthy home measure on the horizon. USarchitect Anthony Bernheim has specialised in designing buildingswith better air quality and occupant health for the last 20 years.

He says that to create healthy buildings the “first and best thingyou can do is take the pollutants out, then you do good ventilation,because obviously people breathe out carbon dioxide and that’sa fact of life, so you have to ventilate.”48

CSIRO estimates that occupants of new homes may beexposed to many times the maximum allowable limits of someindoor air pollutants. One of the contributors to poor indoor airquality is the use of synthetic building materials, finishes andfurnishings which release or outgas pollutants.

Some problem materials and sources to avoid include volatileorganic compounds (VOCs), which are a range of chemicalsubstances that become airborne, or volatile, at roomtemperature. They are given off by most paints, paint strippers,wood preservatives, aerosol sprays, glues, cleansers anddisinfectants, moth repellents, air fresheners, stored fuels andautomotive products, hobby supplies, and dry-cleaned clothing.James Hardie manufactured products contain no volatile organiccompounds.49

Biological pollutants including bacteria, moulds and mildew canform part of household “dust”, and be respirable

US architect Peter Pfeiffer says that it’s “real problematic” notseeing what’s going on behind a brick façade and is a fan of thewater-shedding capabilities of James Hardie products.

“Actually there’s a neat little thing I can tell you about that,”Pfeiffer explains. “Our second son had asthma, and the doctorsuspected it was environmentally caused. Four months aftermoving into the new (fibre cement) house, his symptoms areall gone. And that’s great.”

Engineering and Architecture academic Dr John Straube also haspertinent comments on the moisture-resistant properties of JamesHardie products.

“The cement-bonded wood fibres that make up the JamesHardie product are quite resistant to long exposure to moisturefor significant periods of time,” he says. James Hardie test resultsfor water permeability, rain durability and warm water immersion,support this.

Joseph Lstiburek is a principal of the Building ScienceCorporation and a key investigator for the US Department ofEducation Building America Program. He is acknowledged as aleading authority on rain damage, and mould and microbialcontamination of buildings. Lstiburek agrees with Dr Straube andsays that this is where fibre cement products “shine”. They allow“air circulation and don’t inhibit drainage”, he says.

The Watershed, Quindalup, WA. Plunkett Homes using Scyon™ Linea weatherboardcladding for walls, HardiFlex eaves lining for veranda ceilings.

Watch a video about how James Hardie products help createhealthy homes at http://jameshardie.com.au/straube

Designing for healthIndoor air quality: the next big thing

Read the technical bulletin on ‘Fibre cement standards –ensuring high performance’ athttp://jameshardie.com.au/technicalbulletins

Watch the rest of this interview with Peter Pfeiffer athttp://jameshardie.com.au/pfeiffer


You’ve got passive and active, sun and shade,insulation and mass – just how do you mix theseingredients to design the most comfortable homefor the climate? And how do you do it withJames Hardie products?

Whilst there are a number of different climate zones inAustralia – the Building Code of Australia lists eight and YourHome Technical Manual lists six – there are five main ones thatcover Australia’s capital cities and some important regional areas:temperate, covering Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide; cooltemperate, covering Hobart and Canberra; warm humid, coveringBrisbane and much of the NSW North Coast; hot humid, coveringDarwin, Cairns and Townsville; and finally hot dry, cold winter,covering Alice Springs.

Putting it alltogether

PERTH

HOBART

SYDNEY

BRISBANE

DARWIN

MELBOURNE

ADELAIDE

Map

cour

tesy

ofYo

urH

ome

Tech

nica

lMan

ual

Hot humid Warm humid Hot dry, warm winter

Hot dry, cold winter Temperate Cool temperate


In each of these climates, there are essential design elementsto consider, as well as other design options for best practiceoutcomes. These tips are outlined in the following tables.Remember, though, that transitions between climate zones aregradual. Every site will have specific microclimatic variationsand these should have a significant impact on any design.50

Temperate climates:Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and PerthThese climates require a balanced approach to solar design andventilation. However, the right balance of passive design for solarheating in winter, combined with good design for passive coolingin summer, can almost eliminate artificial heating and cooling.

A sensible approach to thermal mass, mainly in floors, can becombined with insulated walls and roofs to minimise energyuse when it is required. Take special care to choose appropriateglazing and protect from summer overheating.

1 Eaves are designed to admit winter sun. Heat is stored in the thermal mass in the floor.2 Heat is released at night.3 Heavy drapes or other window insulation to minimise heat loss at night.4 Reverse mass construction and double glazing should be used in cooler regions.5 Well insulated ceilings and roofs are required in all regions.6 Heat is absorbed during summer day to keep interior cooler.7 Night-time flushing removes stored heat.

Design elements Design essentials Best practice design options Recommended James Hardie materials

Siting Encourage good orientation to north whilereducing wall and glazing areas to east and west.Layout of dwelling should make optimum use offavourable orientations.

Site new homes for solar access, exposure tocooling breezes and protection from cold winds.

Sub-floorand floor

Use slab on ground where possible to incorporate highthermal mass, in association with passive solar design.

If building on sloping sites using bearer and joistconstruction in steel or timber, insulate thesub-floor and reduce sub-floor ventilation to theminimum. Consider minimising ventilation cavitiesthrough walls from the sub floor to the roof to preventheat leakage.

Roof Bulk insulate ceilings. Use reflective sarking under tile roofs. Light colouredmetal deck roofs should be fixed over an insulationblanket/foil laminate suitable for condensation control.

Walls Use reflective insulation to keep out heat in summerand bulk insulation to keep heat in during winter.

Use reverse mass construction and passive solarprinciples where possible.

Any James Hardie cladding material in combinationwith bulk insulation and reflective foil.

Openings Carefully balance orientation of glazing to provideoptimum north facing passive solar access for livingareas. Minimise east, west and south facing glazing.Use cross ventilation and passive cooling in summer.

Use heavy drapes with sealed pelmets, or close fittingblinds to insulate windows for winter nights. Draughtseal thoroughly and use entry airlocks.

Clip-ons Design eaves and other sun shades of correctproportions for summer shade to both walls andglazing, and use adjustable shading to windows.

Use extended pergolas for outdoor living. Provideshade in summer and sun in winter.

For pergolas and adjustable window shading systems,use HardiPanel® compressed sheets or Scyon™ Trimbattens with appropriate design and detailing. Seeexamples in The Smarter Design Book athttp://jameshardie.com.au/smarterdesignJames Hardie eave lining materials like Versilux® liningand HardiGroove® lining for soffits.

Landscapeelements

Consider some deciduous planting for summer shadeand winter sun.

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Cool temperate climates: HobartIn Australia’s cool temperate regions it’s worth taking passivesolar design seriously. Where that is possible, the best of allapproaches is incorporating reverse thermal mass. With wallswell insulated on the outside, the benefits of free solar energy arecombined with obtaining the best value from the artificialheating which is required at least some of the time.

Where a poor orientation precludes winter solar gains,concentrate on well insulated walls and roofs. Thermal mass in aslab on ground is almost always an advantage, but where siteconditions dictate suspended floors they should be well insulated.The energy conservation weak spot for both winter and summeris over glazing.

Orbit Homes has produced a 6-star display home at the Aurora estate in Melbourne.Its compact size, disciplined use of glazing and overhangs, as well as visiblylightweight cladding is consistent with design ideas outlined in the table below.While built in Melbourne, these design strategies are very suitable for Hobart.


Siting Minimise external wall areas (especially East andWest).

Site new homes for solar access and protection fromcold winds. Exposure to cooling breezes in summer isstill desirable.

Sub-floorand floor

Some thermal mass is desirable. Considerslab on ground where possible.

Insulate slab on ground edges. If building on slopingsites using bearing and joist construction in steel ortimber, insulate the sub-floor and reduce sub-floorventilation to the minimum. In addition, minimiseventilation cavities through walls from the sub-floor tothe roof to prevent heat leakage.

Roof Bulk insulate ceilings. Use reflective sarking under tile roofs. Under metalroof sheets, use insulation blanket with downwardfacing foil.

Walls Use reflective insulation to keep out heat in summerand bulk insulation to keep heat in during winter.

Use reverse mass construction and passive solarprinciples where possible.

Any James Hardie cladding material in combinationwith bulk insulation and taking care with vapour-proofmembrane placement.

Openings For passive solar design, maximise north facing wallsand glazing, especially in living areas. Minimise east,west and south facing glazing. Place openings foreffective summer ventilation and night-timecooling in summer.

Use double glazing where possible, with insulatedframes and/or use heavy drapes with sealed pelmetsto insulate glass in winter. Use door and windowair seals, and provide airlocks to entries.

Clip-ons Design eaves of correct proportions for summer shadeto both walls and glazing, or useadjustable shading.

James Hardie eave lining materials like Versilux liningand HardiGroove lining for soffits. Consider usingHardiPanel compressed sheets or Scyon™ Trimbattens in adjustable window shading systems withappropriate design and detailing.See examples in The Smarter Design Book athttp://jameshardie.com.au/smarterdesign


Warm humid climates: BrisbaneIn subtropical climates, ventilation and shade in summerbecome important, but some winter solar gain is also anadvantage. Insulation levels should be chosen to balance theopportunity to cool down in the evenings by natural ventilation,against reducing airconditioning loads. Good site design andgenerous sheltered outdoor living can help reduce theconditioned indoor areas.

Lightweight cavity construction detail.


Siting Site for exposure to summer breezes. Considerelevated construction in appropriate microclimate.

Use planting and building layout to ‘channel’ summerbreezes, while preserving some winter sun access.

Sub-floorand floor

Use lightweight construction in much of Brisbane andsurrounds, where day/night temperature range is low,and include thermal mass via slab on ground wherethe day/night temperature range is significant. Whereconstruction is elevated use an enclosed sub-floor.

Enclose sub-floor in HardiTex® system with Scyon™Trim detail.

Roof Choose light coloured roof material and downwardfacing reflective foil sarkings. Ventilate roof space.

Use additional ceiling height and ceiling fans tominimise need for airconditioning. An alternative roofconstruction with a ‘ventilated reflective cavity’ andlined roof can effectively eliminate summersolar gain through roofs, and actually works better withdark roof colours.

For more information on alternative roof constructionincorporating ventilated cavities and linings, registerfor updates at www.jameshardie.com.au

Walls Use reflective and bulk insulation; choose lightcoloured wall materials.

Use ventilated reflective cavities to minimise solar gainthrough walls in summer.

Any James Hardie cladding material in combinationwith carefully placed reflective foil insulation.

Openings Allow passive solar access in winter months only.

Clip-ons Shade all east and west walls and glazing year round.Provide shaded and screened verandas for indoor-outdoor living.

Shade whole building where possible in summer.Adjustable shading on north facing glazing. Screenedand shaded outdoor living areas.

Consider shading buildings with HardiPanelcompressed sheets used for awnings (design anddetailed appropriately), and use HardiPanelcompressed sheets for decks, verandas andterraces. Line veranda ceilings with HardiGroove liningor Versilux lining.See The Smarter Design Book for ideas on detailing athttp://jameshardie.com.au/smarterdesign

Landscapeelements

Use planting layout to ‘channel’ summer breezes,while preserving some winter sun access.


Hot humid climates: Darwin, Cairns, TownsvilleReally good design for the hot humid tropics makes use of goodshading, sheltered outdoor areas, and lightweight constructionelevated for natural ventilation. But at least some of the day thecoolest part of the house might be on the bottom floor and morethermally massive, which also suits other considerations such asdesigning for cyclones. A well designed house will provide for arelaxed outdoor lifestyle with modest use of airconditioning.

1 Generally lightweight construction should be used with good cross ventilation.2 Insulated and vented roof are good options.3 Part of the lower floor may be thermally massive and with more limited ventilation may be used as a daytime cool refuge.4 Vegetation and outdoor areas can enhance shade and cooling breezes.5 Increased ceiling heights and ceiling fans are helpful.


Siting Site for exposure to summer breeze and shading allyear. Elevated construction can help to ensureaccess to breezes, and create shadedoutdoor space.

Use plans with one room depth to encourage idealmovement of breezes through the building (crossventilation). Appropriately designed thermallymassive lower floor living areas can providecooler refuge during the day.

Sub-floorand floor

Use lightweight construction – elevated on bearers andjoists to permit airflow beneath floors.

Create some full height recreational areas underelevated floors – they enjoy ‘indirect evaporativecooling’ all year round from the shaded groundsurface.

Roof Ventilate roof spaces. Use light coloured roofmaterials. Consider high or raked ceilings.

Consider using a ‘fly roof’ for permanent shading.

Walls Use reflective insulation, and bulk insulation ifmechanically cooling. Use light coloured wallmaterials. Design and build for cyclonic conditions.

Minimise exposed east and west walls. Shade all wallsfrom sun.

Any James Hardie cladding material incombination with carefully placed reflective foilinsulation to ensure appropriate condensation control.

Clip-ons Shade the whole building in summer and winter.Provide shaded and screened verandas forindoor-outdoor living, and sleepout spaces.

Extended vertical screens can modify otherwiseunfavourably oriented openings to improvenatural ventilation.

Consider shading buildings with HardiPanelcompressed awnings (designed and detailedappropriately), and use HardiPanel compressedsheets for decks, verandas and terraces. Lineveranda ceilings with HardiGroove lining or Versiluxlining. Use HardiScreen® lattice screens for privacyand ventilation.See The Smarter Design Book for ideas on detailing athttp://jameshardie.com.au/smarterdesign

Landscapeelements

Use planting to channel breezes. Use HardieScreen lattice screens as landscapeelements for improved natural ventilation.

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Hot dry, cold winter climates: Alice SpringsIn the hot dry climates, good design with well placed thermalmass, and sheltered, shaded outdoor spaces, can dramaticallyreduce the impact of higher temperatures. Careful provisions fornight-time ventilation make use of cool nights to cool down livingareas ready for the next day. Bedroom areas not used for daylightliving cool down much more quickly in the evenings if built inlightweight construction, thereby reducing air-conditioning loadsor eliminating them all together.


Siting Build more compact shaped buildings, but with goodcross ventilation for summer nights.

Protect from dusty summer winds, but also fromstrong cold winter winds. Provide solar access forwinter combined with exposure to cooling breezes orcool air drainage in summer.

Sub-floorand floor

Use slab on ground where possible to incorporate highthermal mass.

Insulate slab on ground edges. If building on slopingsites using bearer and joist construction in steel ortimber, insulate the sub-floor and reduce sub-floorventilation to the minimum. In addition, closeventilation cavities through walls from the sub-floor tothe roof to prevent heat leakage.

Roof Light coloured roofs to minimise solar gain insummer. Use bulk insulation in ceilings.

Controllable ventilation of roof space above ceiling.

Walls Use reflective insulation for effective summer andwinter application, as well as bulk insulation.

Ventilated reflective cavities can minimise solargain through walls in summer. Consider light weightconstruction for sleeping areas that are not used indaytime.

Any James Hardie cladding material in combinationwith carefully placed reflective foil insulation.

Openings These climates favour reduced glazing areas, with verygood shading in summer. Maximise night time coolingventilation.

Consider design for convective (stack) ventilation,which vents rising hot air while drawing in cooler air.Use evaporative cooling, not airconditioning,if required.

Clip-ons Provide shaded outdoor living areas and consideradjustable to control solar access. Correctlyproportioned eaves for summer shade to bothglazing and walls.

Draught seal thoroughly. Use airlocks to entries. For pergolas and adjustable window shadingsystems consider using HardiPanel compressedsheets or Scyon™ Trim battens, with appropriatedesign and detailing. See examples in The SmarterDesign Book at http://jameshardie.com.au/smarterdesign. James Hardie eave lining materialslike Versilux and HardiGroove for soffits.

Landscapeelements

Design for water conservation while using planting forshade and dust control.

Use garden ponds and water features in shadedoutdoor courtyards to provide evaporative cooling.

1 Thermally massive daytime living areas with limited daytime ventilation is a good combination.2 Lightweight construction and good ventilation for bedrooms allows fast cool down in the evenings.3 Shaded courtyards with water features for evaporative cooling and water conserving shade vegetation are helpful.4 Light colours should be used to reflect sun.5 Shaded openings and living areas securely ventilated at night can cool the thermal mass for next day.

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Endnotes1. ‘McMansion or Green Home – a Debate Builds’, Tina Perinetto,

The Weekend Financial Review, March 3-4, 2007.2. http://www.houseenergyrating.com/process_nt.html3. ‘Sustainability and Building Regulation’, Lam Pham, CSIRO Sustainable

Ecosystems Australian Building Codes Board, Sustainable Materials conferencepaper presented February 20, 2007.

4. ‘McMansion or Green Home – a Debate Builds’, Tina Perinetto,` The Weekend Financial Review, March 3-4, 2007.5. “Green House Effect” Can Boost Sales Price for Home Sellers, Building Online,

March 7, 2007.6. ‘The Global Imperative for Green Building’, Sustainable Materials in the Built

Environment Conference, Rick Fedrizzi, February 19, 2007.7. Lindsay Clare quoted in The Fibro Frontier: A Different History of Australian

Architecture, Charles Pickett, 1997, p120.8. National Trust speech, Glenn Murcutt, October 2004.9. ‘The Castle’, 60 Minutes, Channel 9, February 26, 200610. ‘Crowded Land of Giants’, Janet Hawley, Good Weekend, August 26, 2003.11. McMansion or Green Home – a Debate Builds’, Tina Perinetto,

The Weekend Financial Review, March 3-4, 2007.12. CSIRO Sustainability Network Update – No. 55E, December 12, 2005.13. Your Home Technical Manual V3, Australian Greenhouse Office, 2005.14. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs40.htm15. ‘Everyone Deserves a Well Designed House’, Chris Johnson, The Sydney Morning

Herald, December 14, 2004.16. ‘Crowded Land of Giants’, Janet Hawley, Good Weekend, August 26, 2003.17. ‘The Impact of Urban Form on Public Health’, Billie Giles-Corti, School of

Population Health, The University of Western Australia, prepared for the 2006Australian State of the Environment Committee, 2006.

18. John Mainwaring, quoted in The Fibro Frontier: A Different History of AustralianArchitecture, Charles Pickett, Doubleday, 1997, p106.

19. Comments in this section taken from Determining the Environmental Impact ofMaterials, Dr Bill Lawson, Ecolink #6.

20. Comments in this section taken from Determining the Environmental Impact ofMaterials, Dr Bill Lawson, Ecolink #6.

21. ‘Sustainability and Building Regulation’, Lam Pham, CSIRO SustainableEcosystems Australian Building Codes Board, Sustainable Materials conferencepaper presented February 20, 2007.

22. ‘Sustainable Built Environment: Embodied Energy’, CSIROManufacturing & Materials Technology, http://www.cmmt.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied/index.cfm

23. “Towards Greener Sheets”, An Environmental Profile Of James HardieCellulose Reinforced Cement Products, James Hardie Technical Bulletin,November 1999.

24. ‘Sustainable Built Environment: Embodied Energy’, CSIROManufacturing & Materials Technology, http://www.cmmt.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied/index.cfm

25. Extract reproduced from Ecolink #6, ‘Fibre Cement: A Surprisingly Green Product’,Dr Bill Lawson.

26. Leigh Lalonde, Courier Mail, February 2007.27. ‘Constraint Code for Steep Slopes or Unstable Soils or Private Certifier Use’,

Check Sheet 25, Gold Coast City Council.28. ‘Sustainable Built Environment: Embodied Energy’, CSIRO

Manufacturing & Materials Technology, http://www.cmmt.csiro.au/brochures/tech/embodied/index.cfm

29. Table 2.1: Total external cladding materials in total houses by state, ‘BuildingMaterials and Fittings in Australia 2004/05 – 2007/08’, BIS Shrapnel.

30. ‘1999 Australian Housing Survey’, Australian Bureau of Statistics.31. Taubmans All Weather® and Sun Proof Max®.32. ‘Homes Cracking as Drought Bites’, The Sydney Morning Herald, January 10, 2007.33. ‘Don’t Crack Up, Rain’s-a-Comin’’, Home Essentials, The Sydney Morning Herald,

March 8, 2007.34. DuPont™, and all products denoted with ® or ™ are registered trademarks or

trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.35. CSIRO Technical Assessment numbers 349 and 274.36. ‘Counting Bushfire-Prone Addresses in the Greater Sydney Region’, Keping Chen,

Natural Hazards Research Centre, Macquarie University, delivered as a conferencepaper, 2005.

37. ‘Counting Bushfire-Prone Addresses in the Greater Sydney Region’; Keping Chen,Natural Hazards Research Centre, Macquarie University, delivered as a conferencepaper, 2005;

38. Fire Case Study, James Hardie Technical Bulletin, 2005.39. ‘Bushfire Risk at the Rural/Urban Interface’, Raphaele Blanchi, Justin Leonard,

Dr Robert Leicester (CSIRO – MIT), Australasian Bushfire Conference 2006.40. ‘2006 BCA Information Seminars – Energy Efficiency Handbook Volume One’

Australian Building Codes Board, 2006.41. The data used in this section (graph of ‘Progressive contributions by insulation to

savings in heating’) is derived from information and text provided by Steve King ofSOLARCH at the University of New South Wales.Simulation studies referred to have been undertaken specifically for thispublication, or as part of sensitivity studies for proposed deemed to satisfyconditions for the BCA.

42. Your Home Technical Manual, http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs18a.htm

43. ‘Modeling Efficient Building Design: A Comparison of Conditioned andFree-Running House Rating Approaches’, Maria Kordjamshidi, Steve King,Robert Zehner and Deo Prasa, Architectural Science Review.

44. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs17.htm#how45. ‘The Conversation Hour’, 702 ABC radio, March 8, 2007.46. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs14.htm47. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs15.htm48. ‘Saturday Extra’ with Geraldine Doogue, ABC Radio National, March 19, 2005.49. http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/yourhome/technical/fs33.htm50. Much of the information contained in the tables is based on Your Home

Technical Manual V3, ‘Design for Climate’ with detailed amendments andillustrations provided by Steve King, lecturer and former Associate Directorof the Centre for a Sustainable Built Environment, University of New SouthWales, May 2007.


Be an all-starSome leading builders are already applying smart design principlesand James Hardie products to produce energy-efficient homes.Victorian builders Simonds Homes and Orbit Homes have bothincorporated James Hardie products extensively in their 6 starhomes at VicUrban’s Aurora housing estate.

NSW builders Rawson, Cosmopolitan and Greystone Homeshave also worked closely with James Hardie to create site-sensitive homes for Stockland’s Murrays Beach.

James Hardie works with many builders, developers anddesigners across the country, enabling good-looking, sustainable,cost-effective, and construction easy design and building. If we’renot already working together, let’s start today.

James Hardie. A smarter way to build.TM

6 Star Home, Aurora, Melbourne, VIC, Simonds Homes, using Scyon™ Linea™weatherboard, Scyon™ Axon™ cladding and Scyon™ Trim, HardiTex® system andHardiGroove® lining.

Murrays Beach, NSW. Stockland, Rawson Homes and Cosmopolitan Homes using a range of Scyon™ products.

Read all our case studies at www.jameshardie.com.au

Ask James Hardie™

Call 13 11 03www.jameshardie.com.au

™ and ® denote a trademark or registered mark owned by James Hardie International Finance BV.© Copyright James Hardie Australia Pty Ltd 2007

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