Very, Very Durable Concrete.

Imagine that the structures architects design and build today are still defining the landscape in 16,000 years. With the new concrete under development by MIT civil engineers, that vision is becoming possible enabling us to let the world grow old according to Freya Matthews’s vision.

At MIT, engineers have discovered that by reducing creep (the time-dependent deformation of structural concrete) through nano technology they can create lighter, stronger, more durable concrete that can last many civilizations allowing the relics of our society to remain for future generations to enjoy and reducing the need for repair and the construction of new structures.

Concrete is one of the most frequently used and widely produced man-made building materials on earth, with over 20 billion tons produced per year globally. It’s production and life-cycle is responsible for 5-10% of global CO2 emissions. Imagine the impact of a more durable, longer-lasting concrete. “More durable concrete means that less building material and less frequent renovations will be required.” says Franz-Josef Ulm, an engineer working on the project. The new material promises to be seven times more durable than its current counterpart thus reducing the environmental impact by 1/7.

Via inhabitat.

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Get thee Building Materials to a Reclamation Center!

Construction sites are infamous producers of debris and landfill destined waste and there almost always is a full dumpster of the stuff just waiting to be hauled away. Instead of carting the waste to a landfill, Building Material Reuse Centers have been established to reclaim the waste from building sites and are excellent resources for contractors to pick up cheap and readily available materials. Much like a local recycling program, these centers are present in all 50 states and are even popping up in Canada and the UK.

The organization behind these centers is the Building Material Reuse Association (BMRA). The BMRA is a non-profit educational and research organization whose mission is to facilitate building deconstruction and the reuse / recycling of recovered building materials. The BMRA helps to reduce the consumption of new resources and is an extremely cost effective way of achieving environmental savings and cutting carbon emissions. Whether you’re a contractor or weekend warrior, the BMRA is an invaluable tool to not only cut costs, but also help stem the flow of waste to landfills.

Source: The BMRA via Tree Hugger

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Chilewich Textiles Earns CRI Green Label Plus Certification

Chilewich flooring’s highly eclectic and modern collection of durable, U.S.-made fabrics has just been awarded the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label plus. For all those that don’t know, yes there is an institute solely devoted to Carpets and Rugs and yes they even have their own green certification. The CRI label is awarded to carpets, rugs, and even vacuum cleaners that meet or exceed stringent criteria for low chemical emissions and help improve indoor air quality.

Chilewich’s modern commercial-grade woven vinyl wall-to-wall flooring, floor tiles, custom floor mats, wall coverings, and upholstery fabrics now meet or exceed industry standards for VOC emissions and can help improve indoor air quality. Depending on location Chilewich fibers can also help earn LEED points during construction.

Although Chilewich does not consider its flooring completely green, the CRI certification is a step in the right direction and its refreshing to see a company that’s aware of its environmental impact but has made a commitment to continually improve and seek out post-consumer fillers and sustainable polymers for its future products.

Chilewich Website

CRI Website

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Building with Bamboo

Thanks to the efforts of Yan Xiao, an engineering professor at the University of Southern California, bamboo can now be turned into structural beams to build and support houses and even bridges. Initially reserved for cosmetic and non-load bearing applications, bamboo is now a viable alternative to traditional hard wood lumber. Xiao’s invention, called GluBam, is a structural lumber made from laminated bamboo veneers that are pressed into beams. The beams can be cut and handled like traditional lumber, but come from a rapidly renewable resource.

Yan Xiao’s GluBam is currently being used to construct classrooms and homes across China and was even used in a bridge in the town of Leiyang in China’s Hunan province. The bridge is the first ever to be constructed using structural bamboo and is a testament to the great strength and range of use that this new bamboo derivative has.

GluBam will also be a great aid to developing countries like China that have vast bamboo forests but lack more robust traditional hardwood resources. By transforming the bamboo stalks into manageable beams, GluBam can be used for a variety of applications and can perform just as well as its hardwood counterparts.

To find out more see GluBam’s feature in Popular Science

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Put a Little Hemp in Your Concrete

In Europe, the oft-stigmatized hemp plant is becoming a widely accepted, environmentally friendly alternative source to concrete or brick in the building industry, but sadly has yet to gain any real traction in the US market. Hemp based concrete, a mixture of aggregate hemp stalks, sand, lime and concrete, is becoming more widespread in Europe due to it being a rapidly renewable resource, its impressive thermal and sound dampening qualities and its small carbon footprint.

Hemp-based concrete cannot be used for load bearing walls but is still a very versatile material; it can be cast into blocks or in a solid mass around timber frames, and can even be sprayed onto many surfaces. It is extremely energy efficient and can be used in multiple applications including roof and under floor insulation, in casting solid walls and as wall filler around a timber-framed building.

The stalks of the hemp plant, once considered waste, are processed and used as a renewable, fast growing aggregate in the concrete. Hemp is an extremely hardy plant, requires little maintenance, pesticides or water but unfortunately has been mired in controversy do to its close ties with a certain close relative. Today, numerous companies like Tradical and Hemcrete are prospering in Europe and their hemp-based products have successfully been implemented in a wide range of projects. Like many large industries, America’s building industry is slow to accept and adopt new methods and technologies, but the promise of hemp-based concrete certain; its future in the US however is not.

To find out more visit www.americanlimetec.com

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The Genius of Paper Tube Architecture

(Images courtesy of Centre Pompidou)

To characterize some of Shigeru Ban’s recent architectural projects as paradigm-shifting would be an understatement. Born in Tokyo Japan in 1957, the world famous architect was influenced by both Japanese minimalism and many of the most renowned Western architects (Corbusier, van der Rohe, and others). In fact, one can see echoes of such simplicity in Ban’s use of cardboard shipping tubes in structures from temporary relief housing he designed for earthquake victims in Japan and Turkey, to a church in Kobe, Japan (reassembled in Taiwan in 2007), and even his small studio space on the roof of the Pompidou Center in Paris. Although there are certainly other materials present, such as recycled fiberboard, steel hardware and support cables, the cylindrical cardboard tubing often makes up the bulk of these simple structures.

When one considers Ban’s use of cardboard tubing as a structural (some might even remark on its minimalist aesthetic quality) material, it is easy to understand why many refer to him as a green architect, yet he eschews such labeling as contrived and perhaps short-lived, preferring to adhere to his own notion of designing and engineering structures holistically through a sort of practical minimalism. It is encouraging to see an architect as famous as him, utilizing such simple and straightforward waste as cardboard shipping tubes, within a project, rather than simply being comfortable with their being landfilled or incinerated. Perhaps his work will have a powerful influence not only on those humanitarian-minded architects and designers who are already inclined to offer solutions to overcrowding and low cost housing, but also on those who have yet seen the benefits of sustainable alternative materials.

Shiguru Ban’s Interview with designboom.com

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Future Technology Inspired by Nature

As it often happen, the future technology actually comes from nature.

An incredible amount of energy is spent every year in air conditioning of building that if well designed
Could be self temperature controlled.

Researchers from EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) are studying the structure of termites mounds, by 3D scanning them.

“We’re certainly not suggesting that people should live in termite mounds!” Dr Soar tells us “we are studying the mounds to look for a method by which environmental conditions can be controlled and then seeing if we can harness this using innovative manufacturing processes.” If successful the work could lead to a revolution in construction: “Imagine, instead of today’s solid bricks and walls, smart bricks and smart walls incorporating capillary-like structures that can move and control moisture, gases and temperature.”

“The researchers hope to develop new construction methods based on rapid manufacturing processes that would enable buildings to be ‘printed’ out of extruded materials. Such ‘freeform construction’ processes would give architects the freedom to design complex organic forms with microstructures and properties unlike anything that can be manufactured conventionally. “This could make the dream of passive systems, which keep our homes comfortable using only renewable energy, a reality,” comments Dr Soar.”
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LEED Rating System – A Quick Overview

(Don’t write differently something that’s well written ; )

From Wikipedia

“ The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.

LEED was created to accomplish the following:

* Define “green building” by establishing a common standard of measurement

* Promote integrated, whole-building design practices

* Recognize environmental leadership in the building industry

* Stimulate green competition

* Raise consumer awareness of green building benefits

* Transform the building market

Green Building Council members, representing every sector of the building industry, developed and continue to refine LEED. The rating system addresses six major areas:

* Sustainable sites

* Water efficiency

* Energy and atmosphere

* Materials and resources

* Indoor environmental quality

* Innovation and design process

Certification

Different LEED versions have varied scoring systems based on a set of required “Prerequisites” and a variety of “Credits” in the six major categories listed above. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification:

* Certified – 40-50% of non-innovation points

* Silver – 50-60%

* Gold – 60-80%

* Platinum – over 80% “

Learn more on the LEED certification program :

US green building council

wikipedia article

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