New building materials have a profound impact on the advancement of the construction industry. They surpass synthetic construction materials in terms of durability and strength while being environmentally friendly. These innovative materials not only improve the aesthetic appeal of buildings but also enhance their resilience and longevity. Moreover, their utilization can lead to cost reduction as they are often moisture and fire-resistant, eliminating the need for maintenance expenses. So, what are these new building materials, and how are they manufactured? Recognizing the significance of understanding different construction materials, we explored various innovative building materials in this article.
What are the latest building materials?
While traditional construction materials have various applications and are commonly used in building construction, the current focus on sustainable design has created a demand for environmentally friendly, low-consumption, durable, lightweight, and visually appealing buildings that are highly functional. As a result, the utilization of new building materials with numerous advantages has gained favor, to the extent that they might even replace traditional construction materials shortly. In general, the most innovative building materials include:
Transparent Wood
Transparent wood is an exceptionally promising building material that offers several advantages over glass. It is at least five times stronger and lighter than glass, making it an attractive alternative for windows. Additionally, it boasts better thermal efficiency. Notably, transparent wood is environmentally friendly and comes with lower production costs corresponded to glass.
The flexibility of transparent wood stems from its natural cellulose content. To complete transparency, balsa wood is soaked in a specialized solution and then infused with epoxy resin. This resulting material, known as transparent wood or wood glass, can be used instead of traditional glass components or other translucent elements in construction structures that require durability and eco-friendliness alongside transparency.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is 75% lighter than iron and 30% lighter than aluminum. It is used to reinforce traditional building materials and enhance their strength (bricks, reinforced concrete blocks, wooden structures) and also to reduce panel thickness and weight. Carbon fiber is an excellent thermal insulator for concrete. However, its use in the construction industry can be somewhat costly.
Self-Healing Concrete
Although concrete is highly beneficial in construction, it tends to lose its properties when it develops cracks. Therefore, many researchers are actively exploring new materials as potential replacements for concrete. Recently, scientists from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in the United States have made significant progress in the evolution of bio or self-healing concrete, which could serve as a viable alternative to traditional concrete.
In the manufacturing process of bio-concrete, an enzyme is introduced to react with calcium carbonate crystals, resulting in the release of CO2. Interestingly, the properties of bio-concrete are almost identical to those of regular concrete. This innovative approach enables the filling of cracks and enhances the overall strength of the concrete. Remarkably, this method can repair a 1 mm crack within a single day, demonstrating its efficiency and effectiveness in the rehabilitation of damaged concrete structures.
Richlite
Richlite is a durable paper composite material made from recycled paper. Its main advantage lies in its environmental friendliness, making it a promising raw material for the construction industry in the future. Unlike stone or other hard surfaces, Richlite exhibits properties similar to a dense hardwood and can be easily milled, sanded, and assembled. Furthermore, Richlite is water-resistant and capable of withstanding high heat and fire.
Liquid Granite
Liquid granite is a remarkable construction mixture in liquid form, consisting of 70% marble chips and 30% specialized additives and decorative fillers. It is typically sprayed onto characters such as concrete, masonry, stone, and asphalt. Liquid granite is considered an environmentally friendly material as it contains safe resins, natural marble chips, and mineral fillers. This composite material is commonly used in finishing works to construct or cover individual structures or interior elements.
Flexible Concrete
Concrete serves as a fundamental component in most construction projects today. As previously mentioned, one of the challenges with concrete is its susceptibility to chipping and cracking. Additionally, although concrete is inherently strong, it has limitations in terms of the load it can bear. In 2014, researchers from Singapore successfully addressed these issues by developing a unique additive that significantly enhanced the strength and weight of concrete while even increasing its flexibility. This innovative “bendable” concrete demonstrated flexibility and strength up to three times greater than traditional concrete.
Magnesium Oxide Panels
Magnesium oxide (MgO) panels have gained significant popularity as a building material in recent years. These panels are created by combining magnesium oxide with various additives and reinforcing materials such as fiberglass mesh or non-woven fabrics. The resulting product is a strong and durable panel that finds diverse applications in the construction industry.
MgO panels offer numerous advantages over traditional construction materials. They are highly resistant to fire and mold, and they possess excellent thermal insulation properties. MgO panels are also known for their resistance to water damage and impact, making them a reliable choice. Moreover, these panels are environmentally friendly as they are crafted from sustainable materials and have low classes of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Laminated Wood
Laminated wood is a modern building material created by pressing wood into sheets and laminating them, resulting in a solid block that surpasses the strength of ordinary wood. This wood type falls into two categories
plywood and cross-laminated timber (CLT)
Plywood comprises multiple pieces of wood glued together, used to construct robust beams. On the other hand, cross-laminated timber consists of wood pieces arranged in alternating directions, forming large panels capable of bearing heavy loads. Both types of laminated wood exhibit excellent fire resistance.
Hydroceramic (Passive Cooling)
Hydroceramic is composed of clay and hydrogel, providing a cooling effect to the interior of buildings by as much as 6 degrees Celsius. These materials harness the water-absorbing properties of the hydrogel, which can absorb 500 times its weight in water, to create an effective construction system. Additionally, hydrodynamic systems are renowned for their environmental friendliness, as they can save up to 28% of the total energy consumption associated with traditional cooling devices.
Conclusion
New construction materials are emerging as alternatives to traditional ones, known for their environmental friendliness. One such material is magnesium oxide panels, widely used in wall panels, modular buildings, and decorative applications. For more information on magnesium oxide panels, visit hbboard.ir.
