Discover how Swiss and Japanese researchers are developing aerial construction drones that can 3D-print, perch, and assemble buildings—reshaping architecture from the sky down.
MIT students have developed a form of concrete using recycled plastic water bottles. The new material is 20 percent stronger than traditional concrete and could help cut the cement industry’s carbon emissions.
We need to integrate ancient building technology into modern infrastructure construction. Some ancient structures worldwide are still standing, defying time and nature.
As climate change makes weather harder to predict, most infrastructure will need to be retrofitted or redesigned and rebuilt with future climate resilience in mind.
The initiative started as a way to deal with the large quantities of waste glass that are produced on the island and stay untreated, ending up into the natural...
New buildings are among the largest contributors to carbon emissions. Using recycled materials can significantly reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint!
Generating heat for industrial processes creates 17% of global carbon emissions. Cheap firebricks could store renewable electricity for one-tenth the cost of batteries.
Mineral deposits called “lime clasts” found in ancient Roman concrete give the material self-healing capabilities that could help engineers develop more resilient modern concrete and reduce its associated emissions
Concrete may seem strong and permanent, but it can be surprisingly vulnerable to the elements. Now researchers at Drexel University have demonstrated a type of self-healing concrete embedded with “BioFibers” that use bacteria to patch up cracks as they form.
When people first settled Nördlingen, Germany, they thought they were living in a volcanic crater. But the unique landscape was formed by something otherworldly.
Diamonds are used in the construction industry, but for drilling and cutting. They are too expensive and thus would be impractical to use as a building material.
Benefits and Uses of Diamond Tools in Construction
Red bricks typically used for the construction and architectural aesthetics for more than 5000 years can be made to work as a capacitor or as energy-storing bricks, just like batteries.
I guess they will still need human oversight to see which bits we forgot to tell the AI matter, but yeah, mistakes like this and shitty high rise council blocks should be a thing of the past once we are surpassed by better minds.
Rise of artificial intelligence means architects are "doomed" says Sebastian Errazuriz
Ninety per cent of architects will lose their jobs as artificial intelligence takes over the design process, according to designer Sebastian Errazuriz.
It is a revolutionary idea, but it also raises several safety concerns.
Drones are being used in China to carry heavy construction materials.
Aerial construction using drones is very close to being a reality.
AI-powered drones are already being used in construction sites for inspections.
Reinforcing concrete with plastic creates a sustainable concrete mixture, while also protecting the environment from plastic pollution.
Check out these MIT students who used plastic bottles to make stronger concrete.
https://news.mit.edu/2017/fortify-concrete-adding-recycled-plastic-1025
Plastic-reinforced concrete
(5 upvotes)Green concrete
(7 upvotes)It has been done in Australia, with recycled plastic being used as an alternative to steel.
We need to integrate ancient building technology into modern infrastructure construction. Some ancient structures worldwide are still standing, defying time and nature.
Why do we spend so much time and money rebuilding infrastructure when these damages can be avoided and the funds diverted to more urgent causes?
We need more climate-resilient structures now than ever as severe weather caused by climate change continues to intensify.
Here’s another company making bricks from waste glass!
https://www.thestructuralengineer.info/news/a-small-scale-company-in-zanzibar-transforms-waste-glass-into-bricks
Check out this company that is building houses using recycled plastic waste!
https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottsnowden/2019/08/27/canadian-construction-company-builds-house-from-600000-recycled-plastic-water-bottles/
Recycled materials can build some very cool-looking houses.
New buildings are among the largest contributors to carbon emissions. Using recycled materials can significantly reduce the construction industry’s carbon footprint!
Besides Roman concrete, several other ancient building technologies could make modern structures more durable and sustainable.
Sadly, the Roman concrete recipe was lost over time, though scientists have been painstakingly trying to recreate the formula for years.
Well, scientists have discovered that ancient Roman concrete had self-healing properties, which is why it was so durable.
This is a great idea! Some ancient Roman structures are still standing, more than a thousand years since they were built.
It would also make it easy to repair concrete sewer pipes!
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/self-healing-concrete-repair-sewage-pipes
This concrete would be perfect for repairing roads and other structures that experience excessive wear and tear.
Self-healing concrete might be the secret behind the strength and durability of ancient Roman structures.
Check out this self-repairing concrete at work
Scientists are infusing concrete with dormant bacteria to give it self-healing properties.
https://newatlas.com/materials/self-healing-concrete-cracks-bacteria/
Saudi Arabia is currently building a 106-mile linear city with no cars or streets.
https://www.treehugger.com/the-line-saudi-arabia-mirror-city-6279123
The linear city design is an old concept going back to the 19th century.
Well, buildings in this German town were built using stones embedded with tiny diamonds.
Check out these researchers who figured a way to make plastic and other building materials almost as hard as diamonds.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90433748/were-on-the-verge-of-making-buildings-as-strong-as-diamonds
Diamond is hard but very brittle and will break easily under the right conditions.
Diamonds are used in the construction industry, but for drilling and cutting. They are too expensive and thus would be impractical to use as a building material.
When combined with energy sources such as solar and wind, energy-storing bricks can help us realize an entirely green energy industry.
This fantastic idea can completely replace lithium-ion batteries that significantly impact the environment.
You can build a house that powers itself with these energy-storing bricks.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/11/powerhouses-nanotechnology-turns-bricks-into-supercapacitor-batteries
There are construction companies already using 3D printing technology. However, current costs are out of reach for many people.
3D printing is the future of the construction industry!
https://constructionmanagement.co.uk/3d-printing-can-it-make-a-mark-on-construction/
Someone already has this amazing idea – recycling plastics to make roofing tiles.
Solar roof tiles are another excellent idea if you want to make your building eco-friendly.
Check out this living green roof. I don’t think you can get any more environmentally friendly than this!
Watch this (floor) space…
Already being taken care of by clever machines, just not in app form, it will work better just plugging AI into existing design apps.
I guess they will still need human oversight to see which bits we forgot to tell the AI matter, but yeah, mistakes like this and shitty high rise council blocks should be a thing of the past once we are surpassed by better minds.