Innovative Sustainable materials

Most of our constructions are conventional. When increasing global population needs more accommodations. Most of conventional buildings are unsustainable and producing large amount of CO₂ during construction and throughout a building’s life. Innovative materials are helped to save time and energy.

Nowadays construction industry have more tend to new construction methods. Many of innovation have been increasing in the construction industry. Construction industry tend to utilize new innovative sustainable materials. Innovative means use new technology and cost saving methods. When using innovative sustainable material consider factor such as potential industry growth, economic impacts and newsworthiness.

There are large number of innovative sustainable materials used in construction industry.

•      Wool Bricks

Wool bricks are developed by Spanish and Scottish researchers. Their main target were to obtain a more sustainable material. Nontoxic, using abundant local materials that would mechanically improve the bricks’ strength.

Wool bricks are manufactured by using wool and a natural polymer found in seaweed to the clay of the brick. Wool bricks are 37% stronger than other bricks. Wool bricks are more resistance to the cold wet climate. Wool bricks no need to fire like traditional bricks. 

•      Solar panel roofing tiles

Solar tiles are developed by many companies. Companies tend to produce solar tiles due to they absorb energy from the sun. Solar tiles are fully integrated into the building. Solar tiles are protecting building from its inhabitants. Solar panel roofing tiles transform the sun’s energy into electric power. Then building use that power to its own purposes.

•      Sustainable concrete 

Concrete is the most common conventional building material which are used to construct the building. Concrete is responsible for a staggering 7-10% of global CO₂ emission. Therefore innovators tend to produce sustainable concrete which is reduced CO₂ emission.

Sustainable form of concrete exist recycled glass can be added to the sustainable concrete.

•      Paper insulation

Paper insulation materials are made from recycled newspapers and cardboard, paper based insulation is a superior alternative to chemical forms. Paper insulations are resist to insect and fire. Paper insulation includes borax, boric acid and calcium carbonate. Paper insulation are used to cavity walls, filling every cracks and creating an almost draft free space.

•      Triple glazed window

Triple glazed window have three layer of glass. It is used to stop heat from leaving the building with insulated window frames further contributing to prevent heat escaping from the building low emissivity coating are applied to the glass.

•      Translucent concrete

Translucent concrete is made from optical fiber. Due to embedded light optical elements, translucent concrete is a concrete based building material with light transmitting properties. Translucent concrete are appear fresh, spacious and open due to the light transmitting property.

Translucent concrete are solid but its sheer blocks. Glass fiber optical standards are used to produce translucent concrete. Translucent concrete has ability to support load bearing walls.

•      Sensi tile

This type of tiles guides the way through the dark room by lighting. Inside the Sensi tile includes concrete embedded with acrylic fiber optic channel that transfer light one point to another point.

Light channels are flicker through the shadows move across the surface. Sensi tiles are used for floor, bathrooms and ceiling.

•      Radiant Barriers

Usually made by using aluminum. Radiant barriers are helped to maintain the heat level inside the building. Radiant barriers can be installed anywhere in attic space of the building.

•      Ultra tough jeans insulation

Jeans are recycled and used for roof covering purposes. This material is light weight and reduce landfill waste.

•      Electrified wood

This is a European designed material. In this type of material, sources of electricity directly connect to tables and chairs. When the two metal layer are pressed between the wood of the furniture making it possible to pass an electrical current through the whole things.

•      Flexi comb

Flexi comb was designed by pad lab’s Dan Gottleib. Flexi combs are made by using thousands of closely packed polypropylene. This flexi comb is flexible honeycomb matrix. Flexi comb can be used to build lighting fixtures, furniture and sculptural installations.

•      Kinetic glass (living glass)

Kinetic glass is made by cast silicone. The surface of glass embedded with wires that contraction due to electrical stimulus. This contraction causes the slits or grills to open.

Air flow would happened through the grills.

When need fresh air kinetic glass can be used.

•      Unfired clay bricks

This also type of conventional brick. Unfired clay brick are air dried instead of fired.

Unfired clay bricks are Eco-friendly and reduce the energy use due to no need to do fired. This type of bricks have high strength low shrinkage.

•      Plywood

Plywood is the most widely used wood product. Raw material of the plywood is wood. Wood is renewable resource. Most of construction use plywood due to very good mechanical strength and light weight. Plywood is used due to it is flexible, inexpensive, workable, reusable, and can locally manufactured. Plywood are used on behalf of plain woods. It is resist to cracking, splitting, shrinking and warping and also have strength. 

Plywood reduce the waste during construction.

There are various plywood types such as cross laminated timber, carbon footprint of ply wood.

•      Rich lite

Rich lite is made from recycled paper and phenolic. It has very high strength and resistance to high temperature up to 176.67.

•      Carbon fiber 

Carbon fiber is made from carbon which is thinner than human hair. Carbon fiber is high strength, flexible and light weight material. Carbon fiber is five time strength than steel. Carbon fiber easily can be molded to any shapes. Carbon fiber can be used for construction in areas with that are exposed to hurricanes and tornados.

•      Self-repairing cement

Self-repairing cement is being developed construction material construction industry.  Self-repairing cement has ability to repair its own cracks. Self-repairing cement is included microcapsules that release a glue like epoxy resin that will automatically repair any cracks. It has ability to regulate the heat. It can be absorb or release heat. Self-repairing cement save the energy by controlling its temperature and save the repairing money.

•      Liquid granite

Liquid granite is made from 30-70% percent recycled materials. It is light weight and have same load bearing capacity of cement. Liquid granite is fire resistant and can withstand high temperature for longer period while still maintaining its structural properties. It is resistance to moisture.

•      Fiber reinforced bendable concrete

Bendable concrete is existing construction material. It is resistance to cracking. Fiber is used to manufacture bendable concrete and it gives enough strength to prevent breakage.  This type of concrete is more durable than other types. Its mean it will reduce the cost of replacing.

•      Concrete canvas

•      Low- E glass

•      Transparent Aluminium 

Figure 1.Translucent concrete

Figure 2. Sensi tile

   Figure 3. Radiant barrier

Figure 4. Electrified wood

Figure 5. Flexi comb

Figure6.Kinetic glass

Figure 7.Unfired clay brick

Figure 9.Rich lite

Figure 8.Plywood

Figure 10.Carbon fiber

Figure 11.self-repairing concrete

Figure 12.Liquid granite

Figure 13.Bendable concrete

Figure 14. transperent Aluminium

Figure 15.Low-E glass

Figure 16.Wool bricks

Figure 17.Solar panel roofing tiles

Figure 18.Sustainable concrete

Figure 19.Paper insulation

Figure 10. Triple glazed window 
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