Puricare Industrial Enterprises: Construction

Showing posts with label Construction. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS SHAPING THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR - 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 uncovered the cutting-edge yet conscious building materials of the future before revealing how these materials are changing the way that buildings are now being constructed. The UK's construction industry also needs to build 300,000 homes a year to overcome the current housing shortage. Transparent Wood - Invented by Swedish researchers, wood can now be treated and compressed to become a transparent material. Hydrogel - Bubbles of Hydrogel are layered between two ceramic panels. These can then be installed into already constructed walls. Cigarette Butt Bricks - As the cigarettes within the brick reduce the time of baking bricks, they reduce the energy required to produce them by up to 58%. Super-hydrophobic Cement - The cement is able to absorb and reflect light, offering an alternative to street lighting as the ground would be lit up using this luminescent cement. Synthetic Spider Silk - The synthetic spider's silk is created at room temperature using water, silica and cellulose which are all easily accessible. The finished product could be used as a biodegradable alternative to nylon and other tough fabrics.

.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

8 Sustainable Innovations that are Shaping the Construction Sector

protectionsupplies.co.uk

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 uncovered the cutting-edge yet conscious building materials of the future before revealing how these materials are changing the way that buildings are now being constructed.

The UK's construction industry also needs to build 300,000 homes a year to overcome the current housing shortage.

As the industry is failing to do this, materials which can shorten the time it takes to build homes and make them more affordable are crucial for revolutionising the industry.

Some of the benefits of these innovative materials include:

· Speeding up housing production

· Improving the longevity of buildings

· Helping buildings to adapt to their surroundings, such as in the event of earthquakes

· Increasing natural light

· Reducing fuel bills

· Making construction more environmentally friendly by lowering CO2 production

1. Transparent Wood

Invented by Swedish researchers, wood can now be treated and compressed to become a transparent material.

What it does: Researcher Lars Berglund creates the transparent wood by compressing strips of wood veneer in a process similar to pulping. This removes the lignin and replaces it with the polymer, making the wood 85% transparent.

Benefits: This material will create a strong and environmentally friendly alternative to plastic and glass. The material has the strength of lumber but is far lighter. It can be used in the construction of homes to bring more light in and reduce the need for artificial light which can quickly use up a lot of power. It is as environmentally friendly and biodegradable as normal wood.

2. Hydrogel

Architects at the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia in Barcelona are in the process of creating walls which are able to cool themselves down, using the substance Hydrogel.

What it does: Bubbles of Hydrogel are layered between two ceramic panels. These can then be installed into already constructed walls.

Benefits: Hydrogel is able to absorb water when the air around Hydrogel heats up it evaporates and cools the room down by up to 5°C. The mechanism is inspired by the way the human body cools itself down. Once installed in buildings it will act as an alternative to the overuse of air conditioning which is detrimental to the environment, producing 100 million tonnes of CO2.

3. Cigarette Butt Bricks

Smoking is bad for your health and bad for the environment as discarded cigarettes make up an estimated 38% of all waste. Researchers at the Australian RMIT University have found that adding discarded cigarettes to bricks lessens the amount of energy needed for baking.

What it does: The bricks made with the addition of cigarette butts, require less baking time than traditional bricks. This means they are cheaper and more eco-friendly to produce.

Benefits: As the cigarettes within the brick reduce the time of baking bricks, they reduce the energy required to produce them by up to 58%. Additionally, the bricks are better insulators than those without cigarette butts within them and solve an ongoing pollution problem of what to do with discarded cigarettes to prevent contamination.

4. Super-hydrophobic Cement

Scientists in Mexico have discovered that changing the microstructure of cement can make it absorb and reflect light, creating super-hydrophobic cement, also known as luminescent cement.

What it does: The cement is able to absorb and reflect light, offering an alternative to street lighting as the ground would be lit up using this luminescent cement.

Benefits: Often cement needs to be replaced within thirty to fifty years, however, this alternative product is far more durable and will last for up to hundred years. It also offers power free lighting and therefore can reduce the energy consumed and CO2 produced by lighting the streets of the world.

5. Synthetic Spider Silk

A spider's web is the strongest material in the natural world. It is a naturally tough and strong material that for years scientists have been trying to create a synthetic version. Now, with the help of 3D printing, they are closer than ever.

What it does: The synthetic spider's silk is created at room temperature using water, silica and cellulose which are all easily accessible. The finished product could be used as a biodegradable alternative to nylon and other tough fabrics.

Benefits: The material will offer an alternative to the textile industry which is currently one of the biggest producers of CO2 in the world. The product will be used as an alternative to an array of strong materials such as parachutes and eventually it is hoped the Synthetic Spider Silk will be used in creating building materials such as blocks as well as in mechanics, making super strong car parts.

6. Breathe Bricks

Acting as a secondary layer of insulation, these pollution absorbing bricks can remove 30% of fine particles and 100% of coarse particles making air within office spaces and public buildings healthier to breathe. This is particularly useful in areas with poor air quality as a way to improve air within buildings.

What it does: Composed of two key parts, concrete bricks and recycled plastic coupler, the aligned bricks create a route from the outside into the brick’s hollow centre. The surface of the bricks themselves helps to direct airflow and a cavity removes pollution.

Benefits: This is a cost-effective way to reduce air pollution as it requires no further maintenance once installed. It would be particularly helpful in developing countries where air quality is poor and other solutions could be too expensive to maintain.

7. Bamboo-reinforced Concrete

A natural alternative to the steel reinforcement usually used in most countries, this Singaporean method of reinforcing concrete is far more sustainable.

What it does: The use of bamboo rather than steel to reinforce concrete is more environmentally friendly and creates flexibility within the concrete that can better withstand earthquakes.

Benefits: Bamboo grows at a high rate, meaning it absorbs a lot of CO2 as it grows and therefore increased production of bamboo would benefit the environment. It is also a great alternative to materials which cause harm as they are produced. Bamboo also has a higher tensile strength than steel because its fibres run axially and it is flexible so is great for use in earthquake-prone areas.

8. Super Wood

Although wood has been used for millennia in construction, it isn’t as strong as metals used in building today. Scientists have now discovered a way to add strength to wood by boiling it in a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) before it is compressed so that the molecules within the wood are strengthened.

What it does: The compressed wood is far stronger and more durable than wood in its natural state, therefore it can be used in a greater range on construction projects.

Benefits: As this product relies on the already abundant and natural material of wood, it is still affordable and can be created in an environmentally sustainable way according to its creators at University of Maryland, College Park. The wood is so strong it can stop bullets but is far lighter than comparable materials of the same strength.

The diversity of these materials showcases how much the industry is starting to consider the environment and the affordability of construction.

The construction industry is revolutionising the way that we live. Even the materials that make up our homes are increasingly innovative and futuristic.

About Protection Supplies

Protection Supplies are here to help protect your home, work or building site. From floor to ceiling and all those important bits in between, we have a protection solution that will suit you and your budget.

At Home

No matter what job it is you are undertaking at home be it DIY, decorating or some larger building work, we can protect floors, doors, kitchens and bathrooms. Our floor protection solutions are ideal for party’s’, ensuring you have peace of mind and can enjoy the party as much as your guests. Are you moving soon? Protection supplies can help with protecting those important items during the move too.

The Trade

Are you in the trade? Whether you are a joiner, plumber, decorator or just general building we have the protection products that you will need. Make tidying up after that job much easier, and be safe in the knowledge that you are protecting your clients home.

We pride ourselves on our product availability and we can deliver UK wide. Our friendly team are on hand to help and we can get our technical experts to talk you through any specific protection solutions.

https://www.protectionsupplies.co.uk/blog/innovative-materials-shaping-construction/

You might also like:

Living in a Shipping
Container Home

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/03/living-in-shipping-container-home-from.html

World's First Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Concrete

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/11/worlds-first-carbon-fiber-reinforced.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/02/prestressed-concrete-concrete-can.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/03/portland-cement-manufacturing-and-uses.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/05/aggregates-aggregates-are-coarse.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/01/roman-concrete-how-volcanic-material.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/01/gypsum-as-building-material-for.html

https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/07/pyramids-of-giza-how-were-egyptian.html

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/03/disadvantages-of-steel-structures-steel.html

https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-silent-construction-of-solomons.html

Monday, December 21, 2020

BAMBOO FIBER COMPOSITE - Could a bamboo fiber composite replace steel reinforcements in concrete? Bamboo has been used in a variety of construction applications to varying degrees of success, but a new bamboo fiber composite may be the perfect sustainable replacement for steel reinforcements in concrete. Steel has long played an important role in growing and vibrant world economies. Bamboo is Mother Nature’s magic material — sustainable, resilient, and oh-so-abundant in many developing countries. More than a snack for our furry friends, it has been used in a variety of applications in construction — everything from suspension bridges and scaffolding to small (and not-so-small) homes. Bamboo is strong, almost as strong as steel. It’s also pretty effective at curbing carbon emissions, which makes it an even better and sustainable building material. What makes it not so ideal is that bamboo, if left untreated, can swell with water and rot. As a result, it hasn’t been used to reinforce concrete with much success — at least, not until now. Led by Dirk Hebel, the research team at Future Cities has developed a bamboo fiber composite that has, thus far, showed great promise as a replacement for steel reinforcements. According to a Civil Engineering Magazine article, the composite — 80 percent bamboo, 20 percent adhesive, and 300 percent more dense than raw bamboo — is “water resistant, does not swell, and is durable.”

Bamboo has been used in a variety of construction applications to varying degrees of success, but a new bamboo fiber composite may be the perfect sustainable replacement for steel reinforcements in concrete.

Bamboo reinforced concrete

Bamboo Fiber Composite

Could a bamboo fiber composite replace steel reinforcements in concrete?

JESSICA MCMATHIS

The American Ceramic Society

Steel has long played an important role in growing and vibrant world economies.

I know this not because global economic statistics tell me so, but because I hail from Pennsylvania, just a few hours north of Pittsburgh, where steel was once more than just an industry—it was a way of life.

Steel City in the 1940s

At the turn of the 20th century, 37 percent of the world’s steel was produced in the U.S. — with Pittsburgh’s steel mills accounting for 60 percent of what was produced nationally by 1910.

But by the end of the century, steel production in the States, particularly in Pittsburgh, had slowed.

Three-quarters of the city’s steel operations had closed up shop in the late 1980s, forcing the Steel City to reinvent itself, which it has, to great success. (Need proof? See it for yourself at MS&T14, October 12–16.)

In 2013, America ranked fifth in overall steel production, generating some 87 million metric tons — far below the 779 million metric tons produced by world leader China.

The production and consumption of steel has been critical in shoring up the economies of China and other developing countries — Brazil, India, and South Korea among them — but these countries are not always capable of producing a supply that can meet an increasingly growing demand.

Enter scientists at Singapore’s Future Cities Laboratory (ETH Zürich’s research lab), who offer bamboo, a natural — and unnaturally strong — wood, as a replacement in places where steel isn’t so plentiful.

Bamboo scaffolding on a Hong Kong building

Bamboo is Mother Nature’s magic material — sustainable, resilient, and oh-so-abundant in many developing countries.

More than a snack for our furry friends, it has been used in a variety of applications in construction — everything from suspension bridges and scaffolding to small (and not-so-small) homes.

Bamboo is strong, almost as strong as steel. It’s also pretty effective at curbing carbon emissions, which makes it an even better and sustainable building material.

What makes it not so ideal is that bamboo, if left untreated, can swell with water and rot. As a result, it hasn’t been used to reinforce concrete with much success — at least, not until now.

Led by Dirk Hebel, the research team at Future Cities has developed a bamboo fiber composite that has, thus far, showed great promise as a replacement for steel reinforcements.

Bamboo reinforced concrete

According to a Civil Engineering Magazine (CE) article, the composite — 80 percent bamboo, 20 percent adhesive, and 300 percent more dense than raw bamboo — is “water resistant, does not swell, and is durable.”

Further, researchers say that testing of its pliancy and tensile strength show that the composite would be a viable replacement for a steel reinforcement.

“To reintroduce production into cities as part of a complex social and cultural lifestyle, it requires that this production — and the products themselves — do not harm our health or environment,” Hebel says in the CE article.

“Renewable and ‘green’ materials like the one we are researching, which do not require a ‘smoke industry,’ but rather a low-tech approach, could be the game-changers whereby small and middle-sized companies can operate as part of an urban system. Wherever bamboo is growing, this process could work out.”

The team will continue to test the bamboo fiber and how it interacts with other materials. They hope to begin pilot testing within the next two years.

The American Ceramic Society

Since 1898, ACerS has been the hub of the global ceramics community and one of the most trusted sources of ceramic materials & applications knowledge. If ceramics and glass technologies are a significant part of your work, then ACerS is the professional society for you.

Who We Are

The mission of ACerS is to advance the study, understanding, and use of ceramics and related materials, for the benefit of our members and society. More than 11,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, students, marketing and sales professionals from more than 70 countries make up the members of The American Ceramic Society.

https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/biomaterials/could-a-bamboo-fiber-composite-replace-steel-reinforcements-in-concrete

You might also like:

Composites And Carbon Fiber In The Dreamliner

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2019/03/composites-and-carbon-fiber-in.html

Fiberglass

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2019/02/fiberglass-fiberglass-is-made-of-glass.html

Carbon Fiber Cloth

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2019/02/carbon-fiber-cloth-when-carbon-is.html

Composite Materials in Airplanes

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2020/03/composite-materials-in-airplanes-weight.html

Aircrafts And Composite Materials

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricare.blogspot.com/2019/02/aircrafts-and-composite-materials.html

Nanoparticles

CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .

https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2017/12/nanoparticles-nanoparticles-are.html

Monday, December 7, 2020

BAMBOO FOR REINFORCED CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION - The steel as a reinforcing material is a demand that is increasing day by day in most of the developing countries. There are situations when the production is not found enough to face the demand for steel. Hence it is essential to have an alternative that is worth compared to steel. Bamboo is found in abundance. They are resilient and hence these can face the demand as a reinforcing material and become an ideal replacement for steel. The tensile strength property which is the main requirement of a reinforcing material is seen appreciable for bamboo, compared with other materials including steel. The structure of bamboo from its origin gives this property. The hollow tubular structure has high resistance against wind forces when it is in natural habitat. Working on the weak points of bamboo and bringing up an innovation of bamboo as a structural steel replacement, would be a great alternative. Advantages of Bamboo in Reinforcement: Bamboo is extremely strong natural fiber. It has high tensile strength. Due to its hollow structure, it is highly flexible. Lightweight compared to steel. Low cost and environment-friendly. It has great shock absorbing capacity. Employ bamboo having an evident brown color. This shows the age of bamboo to be at least 3 years. Diameter – Use the one with long large culms. Among 1500 species of bamboo, the best one must be checked, tested to satisfy the requirement as a reinforcing material.

Bamboo for Reinforced Concrete Construction

by Kathir

Civil Snapshot

The steel as a reinforcing material is a demand that is increasing day by day in most of the developing countries.

There are situations when the production is not found enough to face the demand for steel.

Hence it is essential to have an alternative that is worth compared to steel.

Bamboo is found in abundance.

They are resilient and hence these can face the demand as a reinforcing material and become an ideal replacement for steel.

The tensile strength property which is the main requirement of a reinforcing material is seen appreciable for bamboo, compared with other materials including steel.

The structure of bamboo from its origin gives this property.

The hollow tubular structure has high resistance against wind forces when it is in natural habitat. Working on the weak points of bamboo and bringing up an innovation of bamboo as a structural steel replacement, would be a great alternative.

Advantages of Bamboo in Reinforcement:

1. Bamboo is extremely strong natural fiber.

2. It has high tensile strength.

3. Due to its hollow structure, it is highly flexible.

4. Lightweight compared to steel.

5. Low cost and environment-friendly.

6. It has great shock absorbing capacity.

Disadvantages of Bamboo in Reinforcement:

The biggest part which discourages the use of bamboo as reinforcement is its disadvantages.

1. Less durable than steel, cannot be used in permanent structure.

2. Shrinking problems.

3. More prone to environmental degradation and insect attack.

4. Cannot be used in cold climate.

5. It does not have longer life compared to steel.

6. Low modulus of elasticity, poor adherence to concrete mix.

7. Due to lower modulus of elasticity, it can crack and deflect more than steel reinforcement.

Selection of Bamboo for Reinforced Concrete Construction

Selection of bamboo for reinforcement can be done based on these factors

Color and Age – Employ bamboo having an evident brown color. This shows the age of bamboo to be at least 3 years.

Diameter – Use the one with long large culms.

Harvesting – Try to avoid those bamboos that are cut either during spring or summer seasons.

Species – Among 1500 species of bamboo, the best one must be checked, tested to satisfy the requirement as a reinforcing material.

Civil Snapshot is a learning site for all the Civil Engineers and Students around the world. Our mission is educate with trusted source of knowledge everything related to Civil Engineering.

If you want more details about civil engineering follow us:

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrq9YEOQmmLP4b5o_PbQeqg

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/civilengineerhome

https://civilsnapshot.com/bamboo-for-reinforced-concrete-construction/

You might also like: