The Biggest Future Innovations In Construction

The Biggest Future Innovations In Construction

The construction industry is set to evolve in a big way over the next ten years.

As a result of technological advances and major governmental plans, contemporary ways of erecting and supporting buildings are likely to be replaced in the very near future by a range of new technological advancements.

These will allow for a building to offset the environmental cost of its construction during its life and when it is being demolished.

Here are some of the most fascinating future innovations in construction.

Bamboo-Reinforced Concrete

The backbone of many modern infrastructure projects is concrete reinforced with steel rebar, however, the carbon cost of creating new steel has led to the industry looking for an alternative.

Like with many sustainable materials, the answer may well be bamboo. A highly durable, fast-growing, carbon capturing building material, it has the benefit of incredible tensile strength whilst retaining rebar’s ability to flex, making it better suited for earthquake resistance.

Self-Healing Concrete

Concrete causes a number of headaches for the construction industry. Namely, it has a high carbon cost in its manufacture, a high environmental cost when demolished, and when it cracks that causes its own problems.

One solution is to create concrete mixes that can heal themselves. Whilst the actual mechanisms can vary, the idea is that when the concrete cracks and the inside is exposed, this activates a process that creates enough concrete to fill the gap, allowing for a tougher join than standard concrete repairs.

Waste Plastic Bricks

Waste plastic is a major environmental concern, as the plastic that cannot be recycled and goes to landfills can cause toxins to enter water supplies.

A potential solution, one innovated by engineer Nzambi Matee and others is to convert mixed plastic into sturdy plastic bricks, which is combined with sand to create exceptionally strong bricks.

Hydrogel

Innovated by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, hydrogel is a potentially revolutionary alternative to insulation that can create walls that essentially cool themselves.

Inspired by the body’s ability to cool itself, hydrogel could potentially reduce energy bills by allowing a building to essentially cool itself by up to five degrees Celcius, by absorbing water when the surrounding air gets too warm.

Plyscraper Wood

One of the most fascinating innovations in construction comes from a long-faithful part of construction’s past.

Timber has been a common part of construction projects since humanity invented the axe, but in recent years, great innovations such as glulam (glued, laminated timber) and cross-laminated timber have made wood a sustainable building material that can create buildings that can reach the heavens.

Wood is a hotly desired building material for the same reasons as bamboo; its carbon-capturing properties allow for net-zero or even net-negative construction providing the timber is grown and harvested sustainably.

3D Printed Graphene

Much like how carbon fibre has become an increasingly popular part of automobile design by being both lighter and stronger than steel, 3D-printed graphene is a material that is just 5 per cent the density of steel but boasts 200 times its strength.

For more information about scaffolders in Hull, get in touch today.

Contact Us

Ready to work together?

Get in touch