Tag: Construction

Coffee grounds are a key ingredient in sustainable concrete, while tiles made from eggshells are perfect for naturally-made interior fittings. Corn cobs, too, can help reduce CO2 emissions in the building trade. A Dutch startup shreds dried corn waste and presses the scraps mixed with binding agent into panels at temperatures of up to 150 degrees. These panels are...

Used chopsticks are being converted into furniture, while food waste can be redeployed as construction material. And don’t forget about sugarcane. A London-based research team mixed the crop’s fibrous waste with a liquid blend of minerals, then pressed the material into pyramid-like blocks. These can be cured in a week, 21 days fewer than standard concrete. Moreover, they are...

A toilet break on Mars could be a constructive use of astronauts’ time. And it isn’t just human urine that’s suitable as building material. Algae, already used to make blue lemonade, are showing their versatility here too. The founders of a US startup licensed a proprietary process from their former University in Colorado, harnessing microalgae to develop ersatz cement....

Edible cups are great for coffee fans and help reduce waste. But what about the 10 billion kg of coffee grounds that are discarded each year? Well, Australian engineers took a shot at concrete to create a powerful mix. By heating the grounds at 350℃ in an oxygen-free room, they first produced biochar. This was used to replace 15%...

Pick up or convertible? An electric vehicle concept gives consumers the opportunity to change. Not so easy with a house or a flat design, though. At least, until now. Thanks to a Cambridge-based research team, residents could soon alter the layout of their houses to meet their changing needs. No need to knock through interior walls when they are...

New schools are being built from old plastic; new chipboard from the waste from cocoa crops. Now, two graduates from Denver University want to do something about the 80 million used tyres residing nearby. They have reversed the thermoplastic process by which rubber is made into synthetic plastic. During the so-called devulcanization process, toxins and sulphur components are broken...

Edible construction material may soon be on everyone’s lips. Now, an Italian-Ecuadorian design team is producing versatile new materials using agricultural waste from cocoa crops. Key to the enterprise: the beans’ outer shell. Their first product from crushed and pressed shell remains is a 12-15 cm thick chipboard perfect for furniture or component parts. Further products such as bioplastic...

Steel can be replaced by bamboo and tiles made with bacteria. Now, a Japanese research team is converting food waste into biodegradable construction material, using discarded items from supermarkets such as vegetables, tea leaves and coffee grounds. Following their patent-pending process, the food waste is dried, pulverised and then heat-pressed into a mould. Depending on its contents, the resulting...