Bacillus bacteria, a strain that thrives in alkaline conditions such as concrete, would be placed in biodegradable capsules, as would calcium lactate, the bacteria’s food source. Infused with bacteria, bioconcrete is able to fill any cracks made in its structure with limestone, effectively enabling it to heal itself. Dr Schlangen proposed a vehicle that passes induction coils onto roads built from his self-healing concrete as a way to overcome this limitation, potentially saving the country approximately $90 million a year.Ī similar alternative, created by Microbiologist Hendrick Jonkers is a self-regenerative bioconcrete.
While there are significant benefits to a self-healing concrete, its effectiveness would be limited by the ability to apply heat to it. The process involves exposes the concrete to heat in order to cause the material to melt and reform as it cools down. Schlangen of Delft University created plans for a self-healing concrete. Self-healing concreteĬoncrete infused with bacteria can actually heal itself. In fact, with further progress and development, they have the potential to make household air conditioners obsolete. Hydroceramics can easily and effectively be integrated into the cooling systems of current building structures, and could revolutionise construction in warmer climates. Early testing has revealed that Hydroceramics are able to reduce temperatures within a building by as much as 6 degrees celsius. The hydrogel in cooling bricks is able to absorb water - up to 500 times its weight - which is then released to reduce the temperature of surfaces and structures on especially hot days. A combination of clay and hydrogel creates a cooling effect on building interiors that are constructed from Hydroceramics. Cooling bricksĪnother innovative materials that takes the form of bricks are those created by students at the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia. It basically functions as a vacuum and can be incorporated into a wall with a window or as part of a cooling system, meaning that it can easily be integrated into current construction. In the center is a cyclone filtration system that separates out the heavy air particles from the air and collects them in a removable hopper. Designed to be part of a building’s ventilation system. The Breathe Brick was developed by Carmen Trudell, assistant professor at Cal Poly college of architecture and environmental design, and actively pulls pollutants in from the air and releases filtered air. How better to reduce a structures contribution towards climate change than by building from pollution-absorbing bricks.
With the threat of climate change ever-present, future architects will constantly be forced to consider the carbon footprint of their structures. However, the construction industry uses up a lot of land and resources, and as such is making great efforts to create innovative materials that have the potential to revolutionise the entire industry. Many of the materials used in construction are similar to those architects have been using for hundreds of years.
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