Throughout the ages, we’ve seen the construction industry undergo a series of building material innovations. From durable concrete used in ancient structures to the production of steel for bridges and skyscrapers, these materials shaped...
The circular economy is our most powerful tool in shaping sustainable infrastructure as the world’s population grows, writes built environment expert Dr Paul Toyne. Infrastructure provides all the vital services to keep an urban area...
The increasing popularity of plastics in construction is due to many factors: their performance, durability, weathering resistance, low maintenance, cost-effectiveness, light weight and design flexibility. These qualities make them ideal products for construction and...
building materials (general) / construction / economy / policy
by RM_01 · Published February 7, 2019
Government Europa discusses the ReSOLVE framework and making the built environment circular with Carol Lemmens, director of Arup The situation of the European built environment is that of a complex nature, particularly when we are...
architecture / building materials (general) / construction / Life Cycle Assessment LCA
by RM_01 · Published February 1, 2019
Stringent green building standards and life-cycle assessment tools are important parts of connecting design intent with long-term operational efficiency. As expectations and industry standards for reducing energy and water use, increasing building operating efficiency,...
Recycling five essential materials—steel, concrete, drywall, glass, flooring—turns up different challenges, but architects can be part of the solution. To understand buildings, consider cities. They are evolving, iterative systems whose peripheries and hinterlands are...
GCC construction growth requires concrete sustainability as well as innovation. With the Middle East’s appetite for construction showing no sign of waning, the concrete industry is set to remain a central pillar of the...
Globally, the threat of climate change and the struggle to manage non-recyclable products means sustainability needs to be at the forefront of everybody’s minds. Engineering, innovation and forward-thinking will each play their part in...
To date, most 3D printed buildings have been built from concrete. Could bioplastics be a more sustainable option? Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is a major part of the fourth industrial revolution and it will transform...
On January 22, 2019 the new Circularity Gap Report of Cirle-Economy was published at the WEF in Davos. Find the report here
Many of today’s most widely used building materials have limitations, especially with regard to their impact on the environment. In response, innovative engineers around the world have developed new building materials that could provide...
How can you recycle the world’s stockpiles of treated sewage sludge and boost sustainability in the construction industry, all at the same time? Turn those biosolids into bricks. Biosolids are a by-product of the...
WITH the ability to be formed into almost any shape, concrete is the most widely used material in the world and shapes nearly every part of our built environment – from bridges and tunnels...
Buildings constructed with reusable materials create added value in an industry where sustainability is increasingly in the spotlight . BAMB is on a mission. Begun in 2015 within the EU-funded Horizon 2020 programme, Buildings as...
Carbon dioxide is abundant in our atmosphere and, although a burden of humankind’s own making, its abundance presents an opportunity for material science.A new material has been designed by MIT engineers that mimics plant...
The second little pig was unlucky. He built his house from sticks. It was blown away by a huffing, puffing wolf, which promptly gobbled him up. His brother, by contrast, built a wolf-proof house...
A new initiative in Costa Rica seeks to make a big difference in diverting ocean-bound plastics off the shorelines and from entering the ocean. The Center for Regenerative Design and Collaboration (CRDC), run by...
architecture / building materials (general) / cement / concrete / wood
by RM_01 · Published January 15, 2019
With the UK construction, operation and maintenance industry accounting for 48% of the UK’s carbon emissions, the focus of many innovations in construction is now on reducing the construction sector’s CO2 output. Protection Supplies have...
One of the oldest and most sustainable building materials of all time is staging a comeback: hemp. Now that several states have legalized the use of marijuana for some recreational and medicinal purposes, a...
Tomorrow’s building material is here today. Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is durable, formable in diverse shapes and suitable for lightweight construction. As the name suggests, conventional TRC is reinforced with carbon or glass-fiber fabrics rather...
