Classification of Raw Materials

Starting from the building materials, raw materials are derived by means of formulas (“recipes”). Appropriate sources for building material formulas are, among others, Ökobaudat, Wecobis as well as the declarations made by manufacturers of construction products and trade associations for construction products. Raw material classifications are based on national raw material reporting (Lutter et al. 2018), regional plans and similar plans.


Raw material allocations are available for most of the mineral building materials. For each building material group, a relevant building material was selected, its formula determined and used as a proxy for all other building materials in the building material group. In each case, the building material was selected that occurs most often in the buildings (in t/m³ gross volume) in terms of mass (basis: analysis of residential building types). The associated uncertainties should be taken into consideration (Schiller et al. 2022).


The allocation method used for the mineral building materials can be transferred to the non-mineral building materials.


If ingredients are listed in the formulas that have already undergone a manufacturing process, these are also broken down further according to their manufacturing formula (e.g. cement).
Water is not recorded here in terms of quantity and is not shown as a raw material, knowing full well that it is required in many manufacturing processes. If water is present, it is "calculated out" of the formula. This increases the proportions of the other ingredients accordingly.

Building material group Building material representant   Main ingredients % Raw material category
Concrete Normal concrete C20/25-C25/30   Aggregate 86,21 Gravel/grit
      Limestone marl 8,77 Solid rock
      Additives and admixtures 1,94 Additives
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 1,78 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 0,59 Solid rock
      Limestone 0,59 Solid rock
      Burnt shale 0,06 Solid rock
      Fly ash 0,06 Additives
Lightweight concrete Lightweight concrete   Expanded clay 32,95 Loose rock
      Light sand 28,41 Sand
      Limestone marl 21,02 Solid rock
      Fly ash 10,37 Additives
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 4,26 Additives
      Limestone 1,42 Solid rock
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 1,42 Solid rock
      Burnt shale 0,14 Solid rock
Bricks Vertical coring bricks   Clay/clay/marl 82 Loose rock
      Limestone 8,7 Solid rock
      Sand 8,7 Sand
      Expand. Polystyrene 0,6 Additives
Bricks with insulation Bricks (filled with insulating material)   Clay/loam   Loose rock
      Filler (e.g. polystyrene)   Additives
      Lean agent (e.g. sand)   Sand
Brick cover/roof tiles Standard tiles   Clay/loam 98,77 Loose rock
      Engobe 1,23 Additives
Calcareous plaster mortar Lime motar, lime-cement mortar   Sand 78,62 Sand
      Hydrated lime 21,38 Solid rock
Plaster and mortar containing gypsum and anhydrite Lime-gypsum mortar, gypsum mortar   Sand 77,5 Sand
      Hydrated lime 18,2 Solid rock
      Building plaster 4,3 Solid rock
Clay and loamy plaster and mortar Clay plaster   Sand (0 - 2 mm) 69,7 Sand
      Clay powder 30,1 Loose rock
      Straw chaff fine 0,2 Additives
Plasters with synthetic components Thermal insulation plaster   Limestone marl 54,15 Solid rock
      Lime 19,59 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 10,98 Additives
      Expand. Polystyrene 6,72 Additives
      Limestone 3,66 Solid rock
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 3,66 Solid rock
      Admixture 0,52 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,37 Solid rock
      Fly ash 0,37 Additives
Calcareous screeds Cement screed   Sand/aggregate 85 Gravel/grit
      Limestone marl 10,88 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 2,21 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 0,74 Solid rock
      Limestone 0,74 Solid rock
      Additives 0,3 Additives
      Fly ash 0,07 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,07 Solid rock
Screeds containing gypsum and anhydrite Anhydrite screed   Sand 66,67 Sand
      Anhydrite 33,33 Solid rock
Dry screed containing gypsum and anhydrite Dry floor screed (gypsum fibre board)   Gypsum   Solid rock
      RC paper fibers   Additives
Screeds with synthetic components Mastic asphalt screed   Bitumen   Additives
      Aggregate   Gravel/grit
Sand-lime bricks Sand-lime brick   Quartz sand 88,86 Industry minerals
      Quicklime 7,99 Solid rock
      Aggregates 3,15 Additives
Aerated concrete blocks Aerated concrete   Sand 58,92 Sand
      Limestone marl 16,58 Solid rock
      Quicklime 15 Solid rock
      Anhydrite/Gypsum 3,6 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 3,36 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 1,12 Solid rock
      Limestone 1,12 Solid rock
      Fly ash 0,11 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,11 Solid rock
      Aluminum 0,08 Additives
Concrete blocks Concrete hollow blocks   Pumice 77 Solid rock
      Basalt 11 Solid rock
      Limestone marl 8,14 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 1,65 Additives
      Fly ash 1,06 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 0,55 Solid rock
      Limestone 0,55 Solid rock
      Burnt shale 0,06 Solid rock
Mud bricks Clay infill   Wood chips 66,67 Additives
      Fat building clay 33,33 Loose rock
(Gypsum) plasterboards Plasterboard wall panels   Burnt gypsum 95 Solid rock
      Cardboard 5 Additives
Mineral building boards Aerated concrete panels   Limestone marl 62,16 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 12,6 Additives
      Limestone powder 9 Solid rock
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 4,2 Solid rock
      Limestone 4,2 Solid rock
      Pulp 3 Additives
      Polyethylene fibrids 2 Additives
      Polyvinyl alcohol 2 Additives
      Fly ash 0,42 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,42 Solid rock
Mineral thermal insulation materials Lightweight wood fibre panel   Aggregate 45,26 Gravel/grit
      Threads from rocks (diabase or basalt and dolomite, limestone, cement, coke) 45 Solid rock
      Limestone marl 4,61 Solid rock
      Urea-modified phenol-formaldehyde resins 2,3 Additives
      Additives and admixtures 1,02 Additives
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 0,93 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 0,31 Solid rock
      Limestone 0,31 Solid rock
      Mineral oils, if necessary 0,1 Additives
      Lamination (e.g. aluminum foil, glass fleece) 0,1 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,03 Solid rock
      Fly ash 0,03 Additives
      Molded bricks from defibering waste 0 Additives
Concrete roof tile covering Concrete roofing tiles   Quartz sand 78,45 Industry minerals
      Limestone marl 14,9 Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag 3,02 Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite 1,01 Solid rock
      Limestone 1,01 Solid rock
      Coating 0,98 Additives
      Pigments 0,44 Additives
      Fly ash 0,1 Additives
      Burnt shale 0,1 Solid rock
Fiber cement roofing Fibre cement facade panel   Pulp   Additives
      Polyvinyl alcohol fibers   Additives
      Polyethylene fibrids   Additives
      Pigments   Additives
      Limestone marl   Solid rock
      Limestone powder   Solid rock
      Limestone   Solid rock
      Granulated blastfurnace slag   Additives
      Gypsum/Anhydrite   Solid rock
      Burnt shale   Solid rock
      Fly ash   Additives
      Acrylate (coating)   Additives
      Microsilica, quartz sand and trass   Industry minerals
Slate cover Slate   Shale 100 Solid rock
Substrate layer (green roof) Vegetation substrate        
Mineral fillings Sand, gravel, grit   Sand, gravel, chippings 100 Gravel/grit
Glass Glass   Quartz sand 58 Industry minerals
      Soda 18 Additives
      Dolomite 15 Solid rock
      Limestone 5 Solid rock
      Broken glass 3 Additives
      Sulfate 1 Additives
Natural bricks Quarry stone        
Other mineral building materials Ceramics   Clays 52 Loose rock
      Feldspars 27 Loose rock
      Kaolin 8 Loose rock
      Glazes/tempering 5 Additives
      Limestone 4 Solid rock
      Sand 4 Sand