Many of the building materials are comparable to those that have been utilized by architects for hundreds of years. However, because the building industry consumes a lot of space and resources, it is working hard to develop new materials that have the potential to revolutionize the industry as a whole.
Pollution Absorbing Bricks:
With the threat of climate change ever-present, future
architects will be required to think about their structures' carbon footprint
on a regular basis. What better way to lessen a building's contribution to
climate change than to construct it out of pollution-absorbing bricks?
Carmen Trudell, an assistant professor at Cal Poly's college
of architecture and environmental design, created the Breathe Brick, which
actively removes contaminants from the air and provides cleansed air. Designed
to be a part of the ventilation system of a structure.
A cyclone filtration system is located in the center, which
separates heavy air particles from the air and gathers them in a detachable
hopper.
It works as a vacuum and can be built into a wall with a
window or as part of a cooling system, allowing it to be readily integrated
into existing structures.
Cooling Bricks:
Students from the Institute of Advanced Architecture of
Catalonia has also invented new materials in the form of bricks. Building
interiors made with Hydroceramics provide a cooling effect thanks to a
combination of clay and hydrogel.
On particularly hot days, the hydrogel in cooling bricks may
absorb up to 500 times its weight in water, which is then released to lower the
temperature of surfaces and structures. Hydro ceramic have been shown in early
tests to be capable of lowering building temperatures by up to 6 degrees Celsius.
Hydro ceramic can be simply and successfully integrated into
present building cooling systems, and they have the potential to revolutionize
construction in hotter areas. Indeed, with additional advancement and research,
they may be able to render home air conditioners obsolete.
Self-healing concrete:
Dr. Schlangen of Delft University, a Dutch civil engineer,
devised concepts for self-healing concrete. The procedure entails exposing the
concrete to heat in order for it to melt and reform as it cools.
While there are numerous advantages to self-healing
concrete, its efficiency is limited by its ability to be heated. To circumvent
this constraint, Dr. Schlangen proposed a vehicle that transfers induction
coils over roads made of his self-healing concrete, which might save the country
$90 million per year.
A self-regenerative bio concrete, developed by Microbiologist
Hendrick Jonkers is a similar solution. Bio concrete, which is infused with
bacteria, can fill any cracks in its structure with limestone, effectively
allowing it to mend itself. Bacillus bacteria, a species that thrives in
alkaline environments like concrete, as well as calcium lactate, the
bacterium's food source, would be inserted in biodegradable capsules. When the
concrete fractures, water gets into the capsules and tears them open, allowing
bacteria to feed on lactate and start forming the limestone that heals the
crack.
Translucent Wood:
Professor Lars Berglund of Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute
of Technology discovered this revolutionary substance, claiming that
translucent wood might be used as a low-cost, commonly available, renewable
construction resource.
Translucent wood is made by removing the lining from the
wood veneer, which is ideal for making windows and solar panels. The wood is
then subjected to nanoscale tailoring, which gives it a translucent appearance.
Translucent wood has the potential to be mass-produced at a
low cost, making it a viable commercial resource.
Power Generating Glass:
The invention of photovoltaic glass has been a significant
advancement in the development of environmentally friendly construction
materials. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) glass can assist buildings
in generating their own electricity by effectively converting the entire
structure into a large solar panel.
Amorphous silicon glass and crystalline silicon glass are
the two primary forms of photovoltaic glass created by companies like Onyx
Solar and Polysolar.
Both forms of photovoltaic glass produce clean energy, but
they are best suited to various climates and building sites. With some tinting
and apparent wiring, amorphous silicon glass is the closest to architectural
glass. It lets in approximately 30% of the available light and works best in
dim or gloomy circumstances.
Crystalline silicon glass, on the other hand, can generate
twice as much power and is better positioned in direct sunshine. Because its
dark photovoltaic squares prevent much light from passing through, it's an
excellent choice for sun-facing constructions.
Implementing innovative materials in construction
The process of adopting these and other novel materials is
more difficult than we had hoped. Every country, company, and project is
unique, with its own set of rules, protocols, and specifications. It will take
time, but the creation of wonderful new materials like these, as well as novel
building designs and concepts that focus on a cleaner, safer, and more
sustainable future for the sector, are continually pushing the industry
forward.
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