Environmentally Friendly
The core of all Decra tiles is made from steel, the most recycled material in the world, and this has been the case for around 150 years. All new steel manufacture relies on the introduction of high quantities of used steel to increase the efficiency of the furnaces and, therefore, it is practically unheard of for new steel to be virgin in content. In fact, new steel usually has a content of used steel in the region of 25%, with a similar, but fast increasing figure for further recovery at the end of its useful life.
It is, of course, this inner core of steel that gives Decra tiles their ultra light weight and, consequently, their high volumetric efficiency. Currently in the United Kingdom about 22% of national energy consumption goes on transportation.
One cubic metre of Decra tiles covers the same roof area as between 6 and 12 cubic metres of clay or concrete tiles and, in the number of pallets required there would be eight for concrete or man made slates to one of Decra. In simple graphic terms, just picture eight trucks arriving on site to deliver tiles for the same roof area as one truck containing Decra tiles.
Decra obviously reduces the overall call on fossil fuels and emissions of carbon based gases.
Volumetric efficiency (benefits To The environment & The UK transport network)
Because of the lightweight and compact nature of the Decra Roof System volumetric efficiency is greatly increased. Currently in the United Kingdom about 22% of national energy consumption is used by transport, high volumetric efficiency reduces demands on the transportation infrastructure consequently reducing demands on fossil fuels and reducing emissions of CO2 and other green house gases.
Volumetric efficiency (health benefits)
The compact nature of the Decra Roof System has additional health benefits; lower usage of heavy goods vehicles is a simple and effective way of reducing emissions of PM10 and NOx particles.
The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions have stated in a recent article1 “Cars have the most environmental impact, due to their greater number, but HGV’s are a significant source of emissions and are forecasted to become the primary source of both PM10 and NOx emissions from road transport”.
The detrimental effects of particles, especially on respiratory diseases are increasingly viewed as matter of growing concern. Particles most likely to be inhaled into the lung are usually below 10 microns in diameter (Known as PM10 particles). PM10 particles can pass the human larynx and penetrate to the deep lung causing lung diseases. NOx particles can have both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) effects on health, particularly in people with asthma –primarily due to NO2.
Source (DETR) “The Environmental Impacts of Road Vehicles in Use, Air Quality, Climate Change and Noise Pollution”
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