[Greenbuilding] Article: Would you live in a house made of sand andbacteria?
sanjay jain
sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk
Mon Jun 30 18:14:42 CDT 2014
I don't understand the biodegradability claim. Not sure how long it would last as foundations, maybe better suited for walls.
As I understand it, the bacteria bind the materials together then dies when their food source gets depleted, so again, not sure how it'll remain biodegradable.
There some interesting links on the article and the image slider.
~sanjay
________________________________
From: conservation architect <elitalking at rockbridge.net>
To: sanjay jain <sanjayjainuk at yahoo.co.uk>; Green Building <greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 8:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Article: Would you live in a house made of sand andbacteria?
My question is, “ Is it biodegradable?” The packaging material using
this process is. That is a great feature for packaging. However, I
am not so sure about a structural material to replace concrete. For
foundations that are in contact with the ground and need to be tolerant to
moisture, it would need to be inert to biological action. This is one of
the great qualities of concrete. Like wood, however, if it is used in
parts of the structure where the moisture is managed to keep dry.
Eli
From: sanjay jain
Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2014 7:37 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: [Greenbuilding] Article: Would you live in a house made of
sand andbacteria?
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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