Material Embodied energy
  (MJ/kg) (kWh/kg)
kiln-dried sawn softwood 3.4 0.94
kiln-dried sawn hardwood 2.0 0.56
air dried sawn hardwood 0.5 0.14
hardboard 24.2 6.7
particleboard 8.0 2.2
MDF 11.3 3.1
plywood 10.4 2.9
glue-laminated timber 11 3.0
laminated veneer lumber 11 3.0
straw 0.24 0.07
stabilised earth 0.7 0.19
imported dimension granite 13.9 3.9
local dimension granite 5.9 1.6
gypsum plaster 2.9 0.8
plasterboard 4.4 1.2
fibre cement 4.8 1.3
cement 5.6 1.6
in situ concrete 1.9 0.53
precast steam-cured concrete 2.0 0.56
precast tilt-up concrete 1.9 0.53
clay bricks 2.5 0.69
concrete blocks 1.5 0.42
autoclaved aerated concrete 3.6 1.0
plastics – general 90 25
PVC 80 22
synthetic rubber 110 30
acrylic paint 61.5 17
glass 12.7 3.5
fibreglass (glasswool) 28 7.8
aluminium 170 47
copper 100 28
galvanised steel 38 10.6
stainless steel 51.5 14.3
Table H.4. Embodied energy of building materials (assuming virgin rather than recycled product is used). (Dimension stone is natural stone or rock that has been selected and trimmed to specific sizes or shapes.) Sources: [3kmcks], Lawson (1996).