scholarly journals A review on architecture with fungal biomaterials: the desired and the feasible

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dimitra Almpani-Lekka ◽  
Sven Pfeiffer ◽  
Christian Schmidts ◽  
Seung-il Seo

AbstractFungal biomaterials are becoming increasingly popular in the fields of architecture and design, with a significant bloom of projects having taken place during the last 10 years. Using mycelium as a stabilizing compound for fibers from agricultural waste, new building elements can be manufactured according to the circular economy model and be used for architectural construction to transform the building industry towards an increased environmental and economic sustainability. Simultaneously, research on those materials and especially fungal biocomposites is producing knowledge that allows for the materials themselves to inspire and transform the architectural design. Novel research on those materials is not only allowing for their use as construction materials, but it inspires and affects the architectural design process through the discovery and variation of the materials’ properties. Today, many interdisciplinary teams are working on this emerging field to integrate fungal biocomposites in the construction industry and to merge science, art, and architecture responsibly.This study provides an overview of the progress that has been made in this field during the last 10 years, focusing on six works that are presented in more detail. Those six works are spaces at an architectural scale which showcase unique elements and innovative aspects for the use of fungal biomaterials in architecture. Each work has followed different design strategies, different fabrication methods, or different post-processing methods. All of them together have produced significant technical knowledge as well as a cultural impact for the field of architecture but also for the field of fungal biotechnology.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (16) ◽  
pp. 4398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Chihib ◽  
Esther Salmerón-Manzano ◽  
Nuria Novas ◽  
Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is increasingly important in the architecture and engineering fields, and especially in the field of sustainability through the study of energy. This study performs a bibliometric study analysis of BIM publications based on the Scopus database during the whole period from 2003 to 2018. The aim was to establish a comparison of bibliometric maps of the building information model and BIM in universities. The analyzed data included 4307 records produced by a total of 10,636 distinct authors from 314 institutions. Engineering and computer science were found to be the main scientific fields involved in BIM research. Architectural design are the central theme keywords, followed by information theory and construction industry. The final stage of the study focuses on the detection of clusters in which global research in this field is grouped. The main clusters found were those related to the BIM cycle, including construction management, documentation and analysis, architecture and design, construction/fabrication, and operation and maintenance (related to energy or sustainability). However, the clusters of the last phases such as demolition and renovation are not present, which indicates that this field suntil needs to be further developed and researched. With regard to the evolution of research, it has been observed how information technologies have been integrated over the entire spectrum of internet of things (IoT). A final key factor in the implementation of the BIM is its inclusion in the curriculum of technical careers related to areas of construction such as civil engineering or architecture.


2011 ◽  
Vol 281 ◽  
pp. 258-262
Author(s):  
Jian Zhou

This paper starts from the concept of low-carbon building, aiming at the high carbon dioxide emissions in Chinese construction industry; by way of surveys and researches, it discusses the scientificity of the shape, the construction materials, and construction mode of traditional vernacular architecture. Combining current advanced technology of low carbon emissions, this paper studies the main methods for villages and towns to start low carbon architectural design in the future.


Author(s):  
В.Я. Кофман

При производстве строительных материалов и в сельском хозяйстве могут быть использованы значительные объемы водопроводных осадков, обеспечивая при этом их утилизацию. Следствием применения осадков в строительной промышленности может стать существенная экономия традиционных сырьевых материалов без ухудшения качества продукции. Налаженных поставок водопроводных осадков на предприятия стройиндустрии, однако, пока не происходит, и в качестве основной причины называют непостоянство их состава. Вместе с тем достигнутые результаты свидетельствуют о значительных усилиях, предпринимаемых в этой области. На основе использования водопроводных осадков разработаны технологии производства цемента, строительного раствора, бетона, кирпича, кровельной черепицы, керамических изделий. Сельскохозяйственное применение водопроводных осадков считается наиболее доступным и масштабным вариантом их утилизации. Содержание органики и тяжелых металлов в водопроводных осадках достаточно ограниченно, что выгодно отличает их от осадков сточных вод и позволяет классифицировать как безопасные. К настоящему времени в целом ряде стран проведены многолетние масштабные эксперименты по использованию водопроводных осадков для корректировки содержания растворимого фосфора в почвах, для связывания растворимых форм мышьяка и хрома и корректировки содержания микроэлементов. Кардинальное решение проблемы водопроводных осадков должно быть связано с уменьшением их образования в процессе водоподготовки. В этом направлении ведется поиск альтернативных коагулянтов, прежде всего растительного происхождения. Достигнутые результаты позволили провести опытно-промышленные испытания водного экстракта семян масличного дерева Moringa oleiferaв качестве коагулянта при очистке поверхностной воды. Utilization of water sludge in significant amounts can be provided by using it in the production of construction materials and in agriculture. The use of water sludge in the construction industry can result in significant savings in traditional raw materials without compromising product quality. However, the supply of water sludge to the construction industry enterprises, has not been established so far, and the instability of its composition is posed as the main reason. At the same time, the results achieved evidence significant efforts made in this area. Based on the use of water sludge, technologies have been developed for the production of cement, building mortar, concrete, brick, roofing tiles, and ceramic products. Agricultural use of water sludge is considered as a most affordable and large-scale option of its disposal. The concentration of organics and heavy metals in water sludge is quite limited, which sets it apart from wastewater sludge and allows it being classified as safe. To date, in a number of countries many years of large-scale experiments have been conducted on the use of water sludge for adjusting the concentration of soluble phosphorus in soils; binding soluble forms of arsenic and chromium, and adjusting the concentration of trace elements. A radical solution to the problem of water sludge disposal should be associated with reducing its amount generated during water purification process. In this direction, studies are being conducted on alternative coagulants, primarily of plant origin. The results achieved made it possible to carry out pilot tests of using aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera oil-tree seeds as a coagulant in the purification of surface water.


2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 1015-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Maheswaran ◽  
V. Ramesh Kumar ◽  
B. Bhuvaneshwari ◽  
G. S. Palani ◽  
Nagesh R. Iyer

Utilization of industrial and agricultural waste products in the construction industry has been the focus of research for economical and environmental reasons. In this paper, Lime sludge, a paper and pulp industry waste product, has been chemically, physically and thermally characterized, in order to evaluate the possibility of its use as construction materials. X-ray Fluorescence and X-ray diffractometry studies for the determination of composition and presence of crystalline material and Thermo Gravimetric Analysis to identify the phase transition of lime sludge, as well as physical and mechanical properties and its pozzolanic activity have been conducted. It is concluded that the acceptance of this waste product by the construction industry could be decided depending on the application, keeping in view of the limitations on the mechanical strength.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8238
Author(s):  
Noemi Bakos ◽  
Rosa Schiano-Phan

To transform the negative impacts of buildings on the environment into a positive footprint, a radical shift from the current, linear ‘make-use-dispose’ practice to a closed-loop ‘make-use-return’ system, associated with a circular economy, is necessary. This research aims to demonstrate the possible shift to a circular construction industry by developing the first practical framework with tangible benchmarks for a ‘Circular University Campus’ based on an exemplary case study project, which is a real project development in India. As a first step, a thorough literature review was undertaken to demonstrate the social, environmental and economic benefits of a circular construction industry. As next step, the guideline for a ‘Circular University Campus’ was developed, and its applicability tested on the case study. As final step, the evolved principles were used to establish ‘Project Specific Circular Building Indicators’ for a student residential block and enhance the proposed design through bioclimatic and regenerative design strategies. The building’s performance was evaluated through computational simulations, whole-life carbon analysis and a circular building assessment tool. The results demonstrated the benefits and feasibility of bioclimatic, regenerative building and neighbourhood design and provided practical prototypical case study and guidelines which can be adapted by architects, planners and governmental institutions to other projects, thereby enabling the shift to a restorative, circular construction industry.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan-Simon SCHMIDT ◽  
Rainard OSEBOLD

The construction industry, as one of almost every economy’s major generators of environmental impact, can contribute in large measure to achieving the goals of sustainability. However, most publications in this field deal with sustainability with reference to selecting construction materials and improvements in the operating phase of buildings. When considering ecological sustainability the focus has to be extended from the finished building to the building pro­cess. Therefore the actors of the construction sector who are responsible for the production process have to be studied: the construction companies. The goal of this paper is to study the state of ecologically sustainable corporate business management in construction. The state of application of elements of environmental management systems (EMS) is used as an indicator of the current situation in German construction companies. EMS can help continuously to environmen­tally improve the operating processes of the firms. A broad survey about the extent of EMS has been conducted consid­ering the barriers and drivers. In general, a relatively low interest in EMS and a lack of knowledge is noticeable within the sector. As a result, strategic recommendations are made on how to promote environmental management to foster sustainable thinking in the German construction industry.


2014 ◽  
Vol 606 ◽  
pp. 95-98
Author(s):  
Lukasz Sadowski

Prefabricated power support structure foundations are made in prefabrication plants where concrete is laid in layers in moulds. The quality of the prefabricated units depends mainly on proper concrete mixture compaction, which is usually effected by means of immersion vibrators. It happens that when the vibrator is withdrawn too quickly, defects, in the form of, e.g., air voids and zones of insufficiently vibrated concrete, appear. Modern non-destructive acoustic techniques, which in recent years have been increasingly commonly used in the construction industry, are highly suitable for testing concrete elements, particularly prefabricated concrete units. The non-destructive impact-echo technique is particularly useful for determining defect location depth and for locating defective areas.


Author(s):  
Aly Elgayar ◽  
Salwa Mamoun Beheiry ◽  
Alaa Jabbar ◽  
Hamad Al Ansari

Purpose Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs. Design/methodology/approach The work involved reviewing internationally popular green materials and systems for construction, developing a questionnaire based on the literature review, surveying professionals in the seven UAE emirates, and ranking the findings based on the relative importance index. Findings Findings found the top used green materials and system in the UAE’s construction industry. As well as identified that there is a communication gap between the design and implementation phases that is possibly hindering the use of more green materials and systems. Originality/value This study sets a baseline to measure the UAE’s progress over the coming years in terms of integrating more green construction materials, systems, methodologies, and trends.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Carlos ◽  
Daniel C. Amaral ◽  
Mauro Caetano

Purpose Roadmapping has been used as an approach to support market, product and technology-integrated planning, resulting in a document commonly known as a roadmap. Despite the gains made in relation to the technique, recent studies indicate that most users leave or have difficulties in sustaining the process (i.e. maintaining the updated roadmaps). This paper aims to present a framework for continuous roadmap updating that incorporates principles from agile management fields. Design/methodology/approach The framework was developed through action research in a manufacturing firm in the construction industry. Findings The results demonstrate a positive impact on the degree of continuous information monitoring, roadmap credibility and use of the roadmap during innovation strategy decisions. Originality/value The key contribution of this framework is the demonstration of a new strategy for carrying out the maps in which information is internalized by the organization itself, using agile teams, without commissioned specialists and as part of the work standards.


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