Rubber in the construction industry
Rubber is a broad term that can be used to describe a range of products with similar ‘elastic’ characteristics. There are two main types of rubber: natural rubber, which is made from latex extracted from plants (primarily the rubber tree or hevea brasiliensis) and synthetic rubber, which is manufactured and includes some forms of:
- Styrene butadiene (SBR).
- Polyacrylics.
- Polyvinyl acetate (PVA).
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
- Polychloroprene (neoprene).
- Polyurethane.
- Silicone.
Rubber is highly elastic and durable and is corrosion resistant. It remains flexible in a wide range of temperatures, is water resistant, an electrical and thermal insulator, and is able to absorb movement and vibration.
Rubber is commonly used in the construction industry for:
- Joints, seals and gaskets.
- Coatings, paints and sealants.
- Sound, vibration and impact absorption.
- Protective clothing.
- Roofing and flooring.
- Pipes and cabling.
- Belting.
- Membranes.
Rubber can be manufactured in a variety of shapes, sizes, thicknesses and colours and can be hard, soft, foamy or spongy.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
Featured articles and news
The role of construction in tackling the biodiversity crisis
New CIOB Nature of Building digital series available now.
The Nature Towns and Cities initiative
Grants of up to 1 million for local councils and partners.
The continued ISG fall out October updates
Where to look for answers to frequently asked questions.
Building safety remediation programme for Wales
With 2024 October progress updates.
In major support package for small businesses.
Conservation and transformation
Reading Ruskin’s cultural heritage. Book review.
Renovating Union Chain Bridge.
AI tools for planning, design, construction and management
A long, continually expanding list, any more to add?
Robots in the construction industry
From cultural characterisations to construction sites.
Empowering construction with AI integration
New horizons with a human touch.
Key AI related terms to be aware of
With explanations from the UK government.
A Better Hiring Toolkit for construction
Tooling up to hire under best practice standards in the sector.
Recharging Electrical Skills in Wales
Step by step collaborative solutions.
Ireland budget announcement 2025
CIOB responds with positivity, criticism and clarity.
New HES national centre for traditional building retrofit
Announced as HES publishes survey results which reveal strong support for retrofit.
Retrofit of Buildings, a CIOB Technical Publication
Expected to become one of the largest activities in the global construction industry.