From rammed earth to Martian concrete, innovative building materials are getting a lot of attention. They’re proving to be an important part of cutting back on emissions produced by the construction industry.
From 3D-printed mushroom columns to a plastic that’s stronger than steel, these new innovations could have big implications for the future of the building sector.
1. Hydroceramics
Designed to reduce the need for air conditioning, these innovative building materials use ceramics, fabric and hydrogels that can absorb hundreds of times their own weight in water. They can be incorporated into walls to provide evaporative cooling that helps limit energy consumption.
Scientists at Rice University have decoded the kinetic properties of cement and developed a way to “program” microscopic particles into regimented shapes that make it less porous, reducing concrete production and carbon emissions. This new cement also does a better job of protecting steel reinforcement from corrosion, lowering maintenance costs.
Laminated timber combines pieces of lumber glued together to create strong panels that can be used in place of traditional wood beams and are able to hold up to heavy loads. They are also extremely fire-resistant, allowing them to keep their structural integrity even when exposed to extreme heat. In addition, they can be built much faster than traditional wood structures. This means that they can be used in places where building restrictions prohibit the use of traditional bricks and mortar.
2. Cigarette Butts
Cigarette butts are a major cause of environmental pollution, with their toxic chemicals leaching into soil and waterways. While cities have stepped up efforts to prevent littering with disposal receptacles and smoke-free policies, it’s still common practice for smokers to discard their cigarettes in the open.
According to researchers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, incorporating butts into brick production could make the material more eco-friendly. The team’s research showed that bricks containing 1% shredded or whole cigarette butts were as strong as traditional ones and required 10% less energy to fire, while the butts also reduced thermal conductivity.
To create the bricks, butts were first collected and sorted into three parts — polymer, leftover tobacco & paper, and fly ash. Polymer was used for air purification, while the leftover tobacco & paper was turned into organic manure and the fly ash was recycled as an aggregate in concrete mixes. Incorporating cigarette butts into brick production would reduce energy consumption globally, the research found. The low calorific value of the remnant tobacco means the addition would decrease overall brick-firing energy consumption by up to 20 billion MJ, equivalent to powering a million homes in Victoria, Australia, each year.
3. CABKOMA Strand Rod
The world is constantly dealing with earthquakes, which is why the construction industry needs new materials that can protect buildings. One such solution has been developed by the Komatsu Seiten Fabric Laboratory in Japan. It uses carbon fiber strand rods to wrap the exterior of a building. These thin ribbons of carbon are strong enough to protect a building from seismic forces, but they also look attractive.
The CABKOMA strand rod is made from a carbon fiber composite that is covered with both synthetic and inorganic fiber, then finished by impregnation with thermoplastic resin. It is a very lightweight material that can be easily transported. It also has a high tensile strength, low dimensional variation with temperature, and can be reformed after being hardened.
Architect Kengo Kuma used the CABKOMA strand rods to wrap the exterior of Komatsu Seiren’s head office. Although the idea is not practical for all buildings, it could be useful in protecting historic landmarks or other fragile structures that might not survive more invasive construction. The strands can also be woven into a lattice to help with earthquake resistance.
4. Bioplastic Furniture
For furniture makers who want to reduce the impact of their products on the environment, there are new materials available. These bio plastics are made from a combination of natural fibres and a fungus, and can be composted or returned to the soil in order to break down, rather than clogging up landfills.
Known as Mycoform, the material is produced through a process that combines wood chips, gypsum and oat bran with a fungus called Ganoderma lucidum. The result is a structural, plastic-like composite that can be used like traditional furniture. Two pieces of furniture have been created, including a chaise longue and child’s chair, and at the end of their useful life they can be broken down in the same way as any other organic waste.
The material is also suitable for damp interiors, such as bathrooms and kitchens, and can be glued, bolted, coloured or coated. In addition, it is free from formaldehyde, chlorine, phenol and plasticisers. Other exciting innovations in sustainable building materials include a sensitive tile that can twinkle, light up or catch and scatter neighboring colours according to your movements, as well as a new type of concrete which could be used on Mars because it doesn’t require water for its formation.
5. Crystallised Cement
Concrete is one of the most important construction materials and has been in use for thousands of years. Its strength, durability, and resistance to fire make it ideal for many types of buildings and structures. However, cement is also a major contributor to carbon emissions during its manufacture. Scientists have developed a new method of producing concrete that reduces this impact.
The innovation uses nano-silica instead of traditional micro-silica. This allows for a much faster reaction to create the cement-like crystals that form concrete. The resulting crystalline structure fills the capillaries and other voids in concrete, making it impermeable. This stops channels and paths for harmful chemicals or water to enter and damage the structural integrity of buildings.
In addition, the concrete is made from a mixture of recycled aggregates and biochar. This material resembles charcoal and is produced by heating organic waste at high temperatures without oxygen. By adding it to concrete, it lowers carbon dioxide emissions during its production by 11%. It also helps to improve insulation and reduce the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling buildings.