Concrete and steel are responsible for most of carbon emissions worldwide because before using them as building material, both elements must be processed at very high temperatures, which involves a lot of energy.
Looking ahead, how could we continue building without increasing carbon emissions?
This group of researchers believes the solution is to create new building materials that are strong, sustainable and inspired by nature. To do this, scientists along with financial support from the Army Corps of Engineers of the United States are building small samples of bone and artificial egg shell, which could be used as medical implants or as building materials. This is because the bone gives rigidity and hardness and toughness protein or fracture resistance (eggshell + bones).
“One of the interesting things is that minerals make up the deposit bone along collagen and deposits eggshell outward from collagen, perpendicularly; therefore, it could even be the case that these two compounds could be combined to make a structure of reticular type, which would be even stronger – there’s some interesting science in this approach we would like to study, “says Michelle Oyen, coauthor from work.
Creating artificial bones along with eggshells, these new components are based on templates directly on collagen, the most abundant protein in the animal world. As the process is carried out at room temperature samples require very little energy to produce, so it is not ruled out that in the future we could be living in houses built of bricks made of eggshells and bone.
“Another issue is that the construction industry is very conservative. All our existing building codes are designed with concrete and steel in the mind. The construction of buildings with completely new materials mean completely rethink the entire industry. But if you want to do something really transformer to reduce carbon emissions, then I think that’s what we have to do. If we are to make a real change, a major rethinking is what has to happen, “Oyen sentence.
