Group 10- Assessed project work 1- phase2

Innovative Sustainable Materials

Ferrock 

Concrete can be seen in almost everywhere such as highways, bridges, buildings and sidewalks and around 4 billion tons of cement are produced every year.it is used because of its properties such as durability, vigorous and long-wearing in construction. A new material has been researched which is stronger, more flexible, less expensive and carbon-negative to work with, acting as a sponge to literally absorb Co2 than concrete namely, Ferrock. Recycled materials including steel dust from the steel industry is used to create a concrete-like building material that is even stronger than concrete. Compared to Portland cement which is one of the leading types in use throughout the world today, Ferrock is actually five times stronger. It can withstand more compression before breaking and is far more flexible, meaning it could potentially resist the earth movements caused by seismic activity or industrial processes. One of the unique properties of Ferrock is that it becomes even stronger in salt water environments, making it ideal for marine-based construction projects. And rather than emitting large amounts of Co2 as it dries, this unique material actually absorbs and traps carbon dioxide as part of its drying and hardening process by making it not only less Co2 intensive than traditional concrete, but actually a carbon neutral. This results in a carbon-negative process that actually helps to trap greenhouse gases, thus it is an alternative to concrete and a far greener building material. 

Grasscrete

Grasscrete is used for ground stabilisation. It is a cellular reinforced concrete system with voids created by plastic formers. Grasscrete is a method of laying concrete flooring, walkways, sidewalks, and driveways in such a manner that there are open patterns allowing grass or other flora to grow. The construction offers significant structural advantages over precast concrete and plastic paving systems. Grasscrete is an environmentally friendly solution for emergency vehicle access, Fire paths, hard standings, Slope protection, and improved storm water absorption and drainage.

HempCrete

Hempcret is a concrete like material created from the woody inner fibres of the hemp plant. It is a one of the most amazing building product made from industrial hemp .The hemp fibers are bound with lime to create concrete-like shapes that are strong and light. The use of lime instead of cement will save approximately 80% of the Co2 release compared to ordinary cement. Hemcrete blocks are super-lightweight, which can also reduce the energy used to transport the blocks. And also hemp is a renewable resource, modern day building materials are either mined from the earth or harvested from century’s old forests. And hemp itself is a fast-growing, hemp crops can be harvested annually in perpetuity. Some of benefits of hempcrete are non-toxic, mold resistance, high vapour permeability, humidity control and durability.

Bamboo corrugated sheet

Bamboo has been utilized as a building material since ancient times. However, the bamboo mat corrugated sheet is an ideal substitute for asbestos and galvanized steel sheets for roofing purposes. Sinusoidal wave platens have been designed for hot pressing phenol formaldehyde resin coated and preservative treated bamboo mats into corrugated sheets. These sheets are environment friendly, energy efficient and possess good fire resistance as well.

AshCrete

AshCrete is a concrete alternative that uses fly ash in place of cement. By using fly ash which

is a by-product of burning coal, most of traditional components in concrete can be replaced with

recycled material. It is lightweight and has a greater structural strength and durability, so it is

both effective and sustainable. As a building product AshCrete is known for its extreme

strength, approximately twice the strength of Portland cement, besides the sustainable

materials, it has lower transportation costs due to its lighter weight.

Timbercrete

Timbercrete is a fascinating building material which is made of sawdust and concrete mixed together. It is environmentally friendly in all the way from its raw ingredients through to its everyday use. It has a lower embodied energy, and it acts as a carbon trap. Since it is lighter than concrete, it reduces transportation emissions, and the sawdust both reuses a waste product and replaces some of the energy-intensive components of traditional concrete. This timbercrete is used not only in residential, industrial and commercial building projects, but also for landscaping design. And also it can be moulded into a vast array of different sizes, shapes,colours and textures.

Mycelium

Mycelium is a fully natural material made from the root structure of fungi. It can be encouraged to grow in certain shaped moulds and once dried it is extremely light. Dried Mycelium can form an incredibly strong material that is not only water-resistant, but also fire and mold-resistant. It can be used to manufacture furniture, tableware and even entire buildings.

Solar Tiles

Traditional roof tiles are either mined from the ground or set from concrete or clay - all energy intensive methods. Once it is installed, they simply exists to protect a building. Unlike most solar units which are fixed on top of existing roofing, solar tiles are fully integrated into the building, protecting it from the weather and generating power for its inhabitants. Solar roof tiles, also called building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV). Just like conventional solar PV panels, solar roof tiles can generate electricity to heat the water, run the appliances and cool the house.

Wool bricks

This is made by adding wool and a natural polymer found in seaweed to the clay of the brick, the brick is 37% stronger than other bricks, and also it is more resistant to the cold wet climate. They also dry hard, reducing the embodied energy as they don't need to be fired like traditional bricks. This was developed by researchers with an aim to obtain a composite that was more sustainable, non-toxic, using abundant local materials that would mechanically improve the bricks' strength. These kinds of bricks can be manufactured without firing, which contributes to energy savings.

Aircrete

AirCrete is a lightweight non-toxic masonry material that is easy and inexpensive. It offers good thermal and acoustic insulation. It will not rot, warp, or corrode.Unlike concrete which is hard, heavy, cold and difficult to work with, AirCrete is easy to work with. It had good compressive strength to make excellent foundations, subfloors, building blocks, poured walls, domes, it can be molded or formed into practically any shape. Aircrete,consists of 80% recycled content. Requiring no additional fireproofing, Aircrete comes off 8% cheaper than a timber frame. The lightweight material can be used for loadbearing purposes, and paint or wallpaper can be applied straight onto the smooth surface.

De Zoysa G.H.W. -162612B

Jayathilaka K.P.S.M. -162417G

Nafha M.N.F. -162654E

Seneviratne S.M.L.V. -162669E

Viroshitha R. -162679J