Top 12 Future Construction Materials

Research ( Civil engineering concepts )youtube

1. Translucent concrete
 Concrete buildings are known more for their stability than their great lighting.
That was until translucent concrete started to make its way on the market.
 Translucent concrete is mixed with glass fiber optical strands, which create a
solid but sheer block. LitraCon, as the concrete is known, can used in flooring
and pavement.
 According to the concrete manufactures, the optical fibers make up only for
percent of the mixture. Meanings that blocks make from this material still have
ability to support load-bearing walls.
2. Sensitile
 As you walk across your kitchen floor to get something from the refrigerator,
the floors twinkles with lighted path the guides your way through the dark
room. At least it would, if you had sensitiles.
 The concrete of the tiles is embedded with acrylic fiber optic channels that
transfer lights from one point to another. As shadows move across tenazzo‘s
surface, the lights channels flicker with a randomized, twinkling effect.
 Their tires are available for use as flooring in bathrooms and even ceilings, so
you can have twinkling lights follow you all over the house
3. Electrified wood
 You may never have to deal with the tangle of wires again thanks to “WoodE”.
This European designed material incorporates a sources of electricity directly
into tables and chairs.
 Two metal layers are pressed between the world of the furniture, making it
possible to pass an electrical current through the whole thing. The 12-volt
power is fed to the metal layers via one connector via the other.
 Not sure if this furniture will work with all electrical outlets, but we‘re for any
piece of furniture that means we don‘t have to find a way to tie all our wires
together.
4. Flexicomb
 The flexicomb‘s name describes is quite well. Designed by padlab‘s dan
gottleib while he was still an undergraduate at the yale school at architecture,
the flexicomb is as flexible honeycomb matrix, which can be used to build
lighting fixtures, furniture and sculptural installations.
 The material is made from thousands of closely packed polypropylene tube will
bend in the convex direction while remaining rigid in the concave one.
Flexicomb is so versatile; it can be used for almost any imaginable purpose.
5. RichLite
 A counter-top made of paper might not sound to study, but RichLite counter is
almost indistinguishable from one made of wood.
 70% of the material is made with recycled paper. The countertops are made
by treating paper with resin, and then baking it to create solid sheets. RichLite
was first used in the aerospace, boating, and sports industries as
 reinforcement for surfaces like fiberglass, but now is available for architectural
purposes as well.
6. Self-repairing cement
 It may seem that most of the materials have been designed to replace concrete,
but current is itself still evolving. A new self-healing cement is currently being
developed which has the ability to repair its own cracks.
 The cement is mixed with microcapsules that release a glue like epoxy resin
that will automatically repair any cracks that from in the sidewalks or roadway.
In addition this cement will have the ability to regulate heat. Phase change
materials that can absorb or release large amounts of heat also been included
the ingredients.
 With this materials we would be able to save energy by developing buildings
that can control their own temperature, and save money on repairs as well.
7. Carbon fiber
 Carbon fiber is an extremely strong lightweight material. It‘s five times as
strong as steel, two times as stiff, yet weighs about two thirds less.
 Carbon fiber is made up of carbon strands that are thinner than human hair.
The strands can be woven together, like cloth and then that can be molded to
any shape you might want. In addiction to being strong carbon fiber is also
flexible, so it‘s the perfect material for construction project in areas
8. Liquid granite
 According to it‘s creators, liquid granite has the ability to complete replace
cement in concrete. The material is a lightweight and has the same load
bearing capacity of cement, but is made of recycled materials.
 Liquid granite has none of environmental impacts that cement and concrete.
It‘s made up of between 30% & 70% recycled material, and uses less than one
third of the cement used in precast concrete, which means than it has a greatly
reduced carbon footprint.
 Finally , liquid granite as astoundingly fire resistant. It can with stand
temperatures of up to 1.100 degrees celcius while still maintaining its
structural properties. Unlike concrete it does not explode in high temperatures.
9. Bendable concrete
 Traditional concrete is a very brittle material; any buckling or bending will
cause it to crack. A new type of fiber-reinforced bendable concrete might just
be putting an end to that issue.
 This new concrete is around 500 times more resistant to cracking than regular
concrete thanks to the tiny fiber, which account for two percent of its make
up. The fibers slide within the concrete when bending occurs, providing it with
enough give to prevent breakage.
 It isn‘t just the fibers through; the materials in the concrete itself are designed
for maximum flexibility as well. And thanks of these precautions, this concrete
has a much longer life expectancy , which means it will cost a less in the long
run too.
10. Concrete canvas
 Concrete canvas is a flexible cement impregnated fabric that hardens on
hydration to form a thin; durable water proof and fire proof concrete layer.
  Essentially it‘s concrete on a rolls for applications with limited access or where
heavy plant equipment is not available.
 Once hydrated, CC remains workable for to hours and hardens to 80% strength
within 24 hours.
 Rapid
 Flexible
 Strong
 Durable
 Water proof
 CO2 savings
 Low wash out
 Environment agency approval ( UK )

11 Green buildings materials way better than concrete

1. Straw bale
Straw bales are used to create home‘s walls inside of frame, replacing other buildings
materials such as concrete, wood, gypsum, plaster, fiberglass or stone.

When properly sealed, straw bales naturally provide very high levels of insulation for
a hot or cold climate, and are not only affordable but sustainable as straw is a rapidly
renewable resource.
2. Grasscrete
Grasscrete is a method of laying concrete flooring, walkways, sidewalks, and
driveways in such a manner that there are open patterns allowing grass or other flora
to grow, while this provide the benefit of reducing concrete usage overall, there‘s also
another important perk-improved storm water absorption and drainage.
3. Rammed earth
In fact, walls that have a similar feel to concrete can actually be created with nothing
more than dirt temped down very tightly in wooden forms.

Rammed earth is a technology that has been used by human civilization for thousands
of years, and can last a very long time.
4. Hempcrete
The hemp fibers are bound with lime to create concrete-like shapes that are strong
and light.

Hempcrete blocks are super lightweight, which can also dramatically reduce the
energy used to transport the blocks, and hemp itself is a fast-growing, renewable
resource.
5. Bamboo
What makes bamboo such a promising building material for modern buildings is it
combination of tensile strength, light weight, and fast-growing renewable nature.
6. Recycled plastic
 Instead of mining, extracting, and mailing new components, researches are creating
concrete that includes ground up recycled plastics and trash, which easily reduces
greenhouse gas emissions.
7. Wood
Plain old wood still retains many advantages over more industrial buildings materials
like concrete or steel. Not only do trees absorb CO2 as they grow, they require much
less energy-intensive methods.
8. Mycelium
Mycelium is a crazy futuristic buildings material that‘s actually totally natural-it
comprises the root structure of fungi and mushrooms.

It can be encouraged to grow around a composite of other natural materials, like

ground up straw, In molds or forms, then air-dried to create lightweight and strong
bricks or other shapes.
9. Ferrock
Ferrock is a new material being researched that uses recycled materials including steel
dust from the steel industry to create a concrete-like building material that is even
stronger than concrete.
10. Ashcrete
Ashcrete is a concrete alternative that uses fly ash instead of traditional cement. By
using fly ash, a by product of burning coal, 97% of traditional components in concrete
can be replaced.
11. Timbercrete
Timbercrete is an interesting building material made of sawdust and concrete mixed
together.

Since it is lighter than concrete, it reduces transportation emissions and the sawdust
both reuses a waste product and replaces some of the energy-intensive components
of traditional concrete.
23 Different Green Building Materials

1. Earthen Materials
2. Wood
3. Bamboo
4. SIPs
5. Insulated Concrete Forms
6. Cordwood
7. Straw Bale
8. Earth Bags
9. Slate / Stone Roofing
10. Steel
11. Thatch
12. Composites
13. Natural Fiber
14. Polyurethane
15. Fiber Glass
16. Cellulose
17. Cork
18. Polystyrene and isocyanurate
19. Natural Clay
20. Non VOC Paints
21. Natural Fiber Floor
22. Fiber Cement
23. Stone