14 building materials shaping the future of the built environment
Posted on: 18 September, 2024
These 14 innovative and futuristic materials are set to change the way our infrastructure is built.
Through innovations in energy efficiency, resource usage and insulation, the built environment is hard at work to reduce the amount of operational carbon – the emissions resulting from an asset’s usage post-construction – created by buildings and infrastructure.
However, operational carbon emissions only tell part of the story. How a building is constructed – from its initial design to the materials sourced for production and the way these materials are manufactured – also has a significant impact on the environment. This embodied carbon ultimately accounts for 10% of all energy-related CO2 emissions, so finding ways to make this part of the building lifecycle sustainable is crucial for the built environment.
Along with adopting eco-friendly approaches to production and assembly like prefabrication, construction companies are also starting to review the materials they source to find more sustainable and efficient alternatives.
Here are 15 of the most exciting and futuristic building materials emerging in the sector:
1. Biochar cladding
Biochar is a 100% natural material that is primarily used to improve soil. Similar to charcoal, it’s produced by heating biomass sources, such as wood, food or agriculture waste, in an oxygen-free environment.
Recent experimentation has led to biochar being identified as a potential material for cladding, due to its low heat conductivity and ability to absorb moisture. When mixed with mud, limestone and mortar, it can also be used as a supplement for plaster or concrete blocks.
2. Synthetic spider silk
Spider silk has been lauded as the ‘super material of the future’. Its appearance belies its strength – it’s more than five times stronger than steel and ten times stronger than Kevlar – and, with other capabilities like water absorbance, density and elasticity, already has a range of applications, from bulletproof vests and airbags to underwater adhesives and artificial skin.
The qualities of spider silk haven’t gone unnoticed by the construction sector. A new kind of synthetic spider silk fibre is being developed by researchers, with the potential for this to replace the environmentally-damaging plastic fibres currently in use today. Work is also underway to utilise 3D printing in the creation of synthetic spider silk.
3. Self-healing concrete
The recent RAAC concrete crisis brought greater awareness to the risk of cracking in our buildings and infrastructure, but self-healing concrete could provide a solution.
This innovative material uses bacterial reactions to repair itself and extend its lifespan, meaning it’s less likely to be deteriorate from exposure to moisture and chemicals and, subsequently, building owners can save money on maintenance costs. It also offers benefits from a sustainability perspective, as its composition and production leaves a lower carbon footprint and, thanks to its greater longevity, new concrete won’t need to be produced as frequently to replace it.
Link to: 12 sustainable alternatives to concrete
4. Translucent wood
Translucent wood was discovered in 1992 when researchers at the University of Maryland found a way to strip the colours and chemicals from wood. It’s made by boiling the wood in a mixture of water and chemicals and soaked with an epoxy. The resulting plastic-like material is stronger than glass and more biodegradable than plastic.
There are a wide range of potential applications for translucent wood, from windows and load-bearing structures to touchscreens and even solar panels. Researchers believe its excellent thermal conductivity properties mean it has strong potential for energy efficiency and operational savings.
5. Memory steel
Memory steel is a material that contracts during heating, reverting to its original shape. It’s resistant to high amounts of strain, meaning it can be used to reinforce large concrete structures like bridges and heritage structures. It can even protect buildings from earthquakes.
6. Potato chipboard
While chips might seem out of place alongside some of the futuristic and high-tech construction materials on this list, their sustainability credentials make them one of the most promising.
With the circular economy model promoting the use of natural, durable and recyclable materials with a low environmental impact, potato chipboard provides a sustainable alternative to MDF wood, which contains toxic resins and chemicals that are dangerous to the environment. Another advantage of potato chipboard is that it can also be recycled. MDF, on the other hand, is not recyclable – around 140,000 tonnes of MDF is incinerated or disposed of every year in the UK.
7. Light-reflecting concrete
Concrete may have been around for hundreds of years, but experimentation with this material continue to unearth new possibilities and innovation. One such experiment, whereby tiny beads of glass were woven into the material, gave this traditionally opaque material a light-reflecting quality. There are many potential applications for this – perhaps most significantly reducing the need for artificial light. Exposure to natural light has been linked with improved mental health, greater productivity and even reduced safety risk.
8. 3D-printed graphene
3D-printing has various applications in construction, from small components and materials to large scale modules and even entire buildings. It can be used to craft graphene – a thin sheet of carbon atoms that is 200 times strong than steel – into a wide range of different shapes and formations.
Along with its impressive strength, graphene is flexible, transparent, conductive and has excellent thermal insulation properties. However, high production costs currently remain a barrier to its wider implementation.
Learn more: 3D printing in construction: is it worth the hype?
9. Bioplastic
Bioplastic are created from renewable sources like cellulose, algae and plant starch. They offer a sustainable alternative to traditional materials like plastic, as they are biodegradable and compostable. As a result, they’re being implemented today in everything from flooring and green roofs to entire 3D printed houses.
10. Mycelium
Mycelium is sourced from tiny threads of mushrooms and fungi that forms a dense, fire-resistant substance when mixed with organic matter. Compared to standard concrete, it’s lighter, more easily moulded and far more environmentally friendly. What’s more, it offers competitive lifecycle costs compared to traditional concrete, due to its impressive thermal insulation properties.
11. Carbon fibre
Carbon fibre is not a new material by any means, being most famously incorporated into the design of performance cars by the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and McLaren. However, due to its high costs, use in construction has been rare.
This is about to change. Many engineers are turning to carbon fibre as an alternative to metals and wood, thanks to its high tensile and fatigue strength. It’s also resistant to both chemicals and high temperatures, making it an ideal material for reinforcement.
Unlike some of the other materials on this list, building with carbon fibre has become a reality – one of the campuses at the famous Apple Park site in California has a floating roof built entirely of carbon fibre.
Learn more: What is biophilic architecture? 15 real-world examples in the built environment
12. Aluminium foam
Aluminium foam is a network of interconnected metal pores, giving it significant structural integrity along with low weight and high weather-resistance. It has a wide range of applications on both the exterior facade and interior of a structure, with one example being in the exterior cladding of XYZ building in Manchester.
13. Pollution absorbing bricks
Along with being created by more sustainable processes, this new wave of innovative building materials are also actively helping to reduce pollution during their operational usage, too. Pollution absorbing bricks are a chief example of this. Built from concrete, these blocks are designed to let air flow inside of them and, through the process of filtration, capture pollution from the air.
14. Martian concrete
No, Martian concrete isn’t from Mars, but it could be one day. With plans for mankind to visit and eventually colonise our neighbouring planet, this special type of concrete – made with the sulphur instead of water – is currently under development.
Sustainability isn’t a passing trend – it’s here to stay and is constantly evolving. If you want to inspire and action change in your career, UCEM’s MSc Innovation in Sustainable Built Environments and Level 7 Sustainability Business Specialist Apprenticeship will give you the skills you need, both now and in the future.
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