The real estate sector is responsible for about a third of the energy consumed and a fifth of the pollution emitted worldwide. These numbers have turned the search for new, sustainable building materials into an unstoppable race. The following are some of the most outstanding innovations:
Self-healing concrete
It is believed that 90% of carbon emissions from industrial processes are directly caused by cement manufacture, which is why the search for self-healing concrete and thermochromic coatings has accelerated. The first is a type of concrete that could heal its cracks by itself, while the latter would be able to regulate the temperature of a building’s façade and consequently of the interiors.
For now, the main obstacle for the development of these materials of the future is their cost.
1-Faced with an internal fissure, the epoxy-filled silica microcapsules introduced by the equipment will break and repair the concrete.
2-At low temperatures, the cement acquires a dark colour, while at a higher temperature it will take a lighter colour.
Recycled building materials
Plasma Rock is a new material made entirely from recycled waste. Inge Sluijs has found the way to turn landfill waste into an innovative, environmentally respectful material which can be used for construction through a process that heats the waste to extremely high temperatures. According to the designer, 100 kilos of waste can become 20 kilos of Plasma Rock. These and many other developments prove that the future of construction must and will be, without a doubt, sustainable.
3-Plasma Rock is a mixture of waste that decomposes into its elements atomic and then merges.