These materials include translucent wood, cement that generates light, floating piers, Martian concrete, lightweight seismic reinforcement, self-cooling walls, biodegradable furniture, pollution-absorbing bricks, and self-healing concrete. Scientists and engineers have developed these innovative materials to revolutionize the construction industry by enabling new architectural designs, improving sustainability, and reducing maintenance needs.
8 Materials Revolutionizing Construction: Translucent Wood, Martian Concrete & More
1. These 8 Innovative Materials Will Revolutionize the Construction Industry
www.terramarachitectural.com
2. Initially, when the concept was introduced, it was impossible to believe! As it sounds crazy-
Cement can generate light? Concrete for building shelters on Mars? Translucent Wood?
Biodegradable furniture?
Is pollution absorbing bricks? Thanks to the precious contribution of modern day science, the
otherwise challenging task of the construction industry have now become easy to manage with
these Innovations.
3. These materials better and how these contributions revolutionize the construction
industry
4. Translucent Wood – A Contribution from KTH
Dr. José Carlos Rubio Ávalos from UMSNH of Morelia, has introduced new materials that modify
the properties of cement such as radiation, temperature, pH, humidity, the wind, and other
environmental factors.
The researcher claimed that this innovation is very helpful for an architectural market, including
facades, swimming pools, bathrooms, kitchens, parking lots, etc. Also, it proves beneficial – for
road safety and road signs, in the energy sector, such as oil platforms, and places that don’t have
access to electricity.
5. Cement Generates Light
In Stockholm, A team of construction professionals (from KTH Royal Institute of Technology,) has
introduced Optically Transparent Wood (TW). This innovation has revolutionized the way of
architectural work – as it becomes a symbol of advancement for construction industry trends
that transformed the way of architectural design – not only as a simple construction but also as
a work of art.
Optically Transparent Wood is designed to eliminate the chemical lignin from a wood veneer by
making it very white. This white porous veneer is then impregnated with a transparent polymer,
matching the optical properties of the individual cells while making the entire material
translucent.
6. Floating Piers
Christo and Jean-Claude are the two construction professionals behind this concept. The work
involves a 3-kilometer walkway wrapped in 100,000 square meters of yellow cloth and a floating
dock system consisting of 220,000 cubes of high- density polyethylene.
Martian concrete
At Northwestern University, A team of scientists headed by Lin Wan advent the new generation
Martian concrete. According to the report of MIT Technology, this new generation Martian
concrete is useful in designing suitable building structures for humans to live on Mars. Basically,
this “Martian concrete” is developed with the aim of sending humans to the Red Planet for
colonizing.
7. Lightest Anti-Seismic Reinforcement
Komatsu Seiren Fabric Laboratory – a Japanese company, introduced a new thermoplastic
carbon fiber called CABKOMA Strand Rod. The Strand Rod composed of carbon fiber that
encompasses both synthetic and inorganic fibers coated with a thermoplastic resin.
However, this carbon fiber has many advantages. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but also, it
is world`s lightest seismic reinforcement which has high tensile strength.
8. Self – Cooling Wall
Pupils at the Digital Matter Intelligent Constructions studio at Barcelona’s Institute for Advanced
Architecture of Catalonia introduced a new trend in residential construction design entitled as
Hydro ceramics. The facade material composed of clay and hydrogel is capable of cooling
building interiors by up to 6 degrees centigrade. Hydroceramic, the self-cooling invention utilizes
the ability of the hydrogel to absorb up to 500 times its own weight in water in order to reduce
room temperature.
The aim behind this innovation is to redefine and embed intelligence into the built environment,
using responsive materials. This redefines and embeds intelligence created a passive system that
transforms temperature, leveraging material properties.
9. Biodegradable Furniture
What if your chair was compostable? The question posed by a series of experiments. Terreform
ONE and Genspace together developed two bioplastic chairs – following similar processes:
1. A chaise lounge that is formed from a series of white ribs in a parametric shape, with a
cushioned top.
2. A children’s chair that is made of interlocking segments and is useful to twist the chair into
different shapes.
10. Cigarette Butts Bricks
Smokers trash can now become someone`s building material. Scholars at the Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology (commonly known as RMIT University) – introduced a new trend in
construction industry i.e. brick making practice using cigarette butts. The team of experts
administered by Dr. Abbas Mohajerani, states that making clay bricks with 1 % cigarette butt can
entirely offset the annual worldwide production of cigarettes. Also, it makes brick lighter and
more efficient.
11. Breathe Brick
In an effort to reduce building emissions, researchers started to work with techniques that
actually remove pollutants from the air through systems such as Nemesi’s”photocatalytic”
facade which captures and reacts with pollution in the presence of light.
Carmen Trudell is the key person behind Breathe Brick. The brick is designed to be part of a
building’s normal ventilation system. It consists of a double-layer brick facade and specialized
bricks on the outside, complemented by an inner layer that provides standard insulation.
12. Self-Healing Concrete
Continuous repairing and maintenance is expensive, time-consuming. In the case of
infrastructures such as bridges or roads, it is inconvenient too.
Thanks to the precious contribution of modern science that has blessed industry with self-
healing materials. This contribution from TU Delft towards construction industry can significantly
extend the lifespan of a construction. This includes Erik Schlangen‘s asphalt that resets itself
with a dose of induction heating.