[Greenbuilding] Article: Would you live in a house made of sand and bacteria?

sanjay jain sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk
Sun Jun 29 18:37:11 CDT 2014


http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/21/tech/innovation/would-you-live-in-a-house-made-of-urine-and-bacteria/

(CNN) -- Peter Trimble found his formula through trial and error. A design student at theUniversity of Edinburgh, he was aiming to produce an artistic exhibition for a module on 
sustainability, when he stumbled on "Dupe," a living alternative to 
concrete.

A lab technician 
introduced Trimble to Sporosarcina pasteurii, a bacterium with binding 
qualities, sometimes used to solidify soil to hold road signs in place. 
The student tested it with one of the world's most abundant resources - 
sand. Pumping bacterial solution into a sand-filled mould, he added 
nutrients, urea derived from urine as fertilizer and calcium. After a 
year, and hundreds of failed experiments, this process manufactured a 
stool around 70% the compression strength of concrete.

The process requires less than one-sixth of the energy used in concrete production, and is 
completely biodegradable. Crucially, Trimble believes his mechanism has 
the added benefit that it could be employed by anyone, anywhere.
"Once you have the basic 
framework it should be transferable. Imagine a Tsunami-hit farm in 
Indonesia that is not getting supplies. You could use sand and bacteria 
on site, practically free, and have shelter housing that is far more 
permanent."
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