Advances in buildings materials will lead to a cleaner, safer world

The industrial revolution marked a turning point in the construction of buildings.

Heavy duty structures were needed to house the machinery being developed and to create stations for the booming railways. With access to mass produced iron, the Victorians were able to construct large buildings which were both functional and beautiful. Impressive cathedrals to innovation like The Royal Albert Hall, the Palace of Westminster and St Pancras Station sprung up across the Capital, all of which still stand today as monuments to the engineering achievements of the Victorians.

The application of iron, and particularly steel, to architecture greatly expanded the structural capabilities of existing materials and created new ones. Steel has tremendous strength to weight and allowed engineers to design increasingly bigger, lighter, more open spaces feel. The 19^th century also saw the greater use of glass in industrial buildings. The iron and glass roof of St Pancras was a bold innovation and at the time of its construction was the largest single span roof in the World, measuring 689ft (240m) long, and spanning 245ft (75m).

Joseph Paxton, a gardener and greenhouse designer, is credited with creating the first large-scale glass structure called The Crystal Palace developed to house The Great Exhibition of 1851 which used 300,000 pieces of glass. The design, which was built in record time, was created using iron frames set with the largest panes of glass in history up to that time.

Although forms of concrete pre-date the Roman era, it was not until the invention of reinforced concrete in the late 18th century, that the material became widely used in industrial buildings. Great structures like the Hoover Dam of 1931, which used over four million cubic yards of concrete reinforced with steel, and the construction of The U.S. Interstate Highway System in 1956 were testament to strength and durability of concrete.

The iconic Sydney Opera House used incredible single-span concrete beams, some 49m long, to support a total of 2,194 precast-concrete roof panels which are in turn clad with over 1 million tiles.

In the UK, huge, structures like The Barbican, the old Wembley Stadium and the Royal Liver building, with its reinforced concrete framework, demonstrated that scale did not come at the expense of beauty.

You might think that concrete has reached the end of its development- but no. We now have self-healing concrete. Back in 2015, inventor Henk Jonkers from Delft University of Technology showed an innovative method to repair cracks in concrete using bacteria. The principle of the technology is simple: capsules containing specific bacteria and nutrients for them were added to the concrete: the bacteria were activated as soon as water hit. Cracked concrete was rebuilt with moisture, filled with limestone produced by the bacteria.

Then there is flexible concrete. With ConFlexPave the thinnest polymer microfibres are mixed into the solution, distributing loads across an entire slab of concrete gaining a flexibility and strength that is up to 3 times higher than that of traditional concrete. This helps it to become as strong as metal and twice as strong as regular concrete when it is subjected to bending.

Even more radical is light-emitting concrete where the cement absorbs the sunlight in the day and emits it in the nighttime. This technique allows the materials crystallisation properties to break up and allow the light to pass through making it opaque. This highly energy efficient material rules over the architecture industry and is expected to be used in – bathrooms, swimming pools, facades, roads, parking areas and kitchens. It could also be used in road signs because of the light emitting properties. This material is composed of silica, river sand, industrial waste, alkali and water.

Wood of course is one of the longest standing building materials in existence, with evidence showing homes built over 10,000 years ago used timber as a primary source for construction materials. And unlike other building materials it is renewable

According to communications campaign Think Wood, “maximizing wood use in both residential and commercial construction could remove an estimated 21 million tons (approximately 19,050,880 metric tonnes) of CO₂ from the atmosphere annually – equal to taking 4.4 million cars off the road.”

Anxious to reduce its carbon footprint, the French government has announced plans for a sustainability law that will ensure all new public buildings are built from at least 50 per cent timber or other natural materials.

Glass too has undergone significant changes since Paxton’s days with advances in strength, thickness and special properties. Smart glass, for example, can change its light transmission when light, voltage, or heat is applied. For instance, this glass changes from translucent to transparent and vice versa.

It is often said that architecture is a product of the culture that it was designed for. As we move into the era of sustainability, we see technological advances designed to ease the pressure on the planet. At Compound, great care is taken to ensure all materials have a light carbon footprint giving its developments BREEAM excellent standards, EPC A, EV charging and on site renewables.

Here are some of the developments driving innovation in architecture and construction, promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, and resilience in the face of changing environmental and societal needs.

1.High-Performance Concrete: Advanced concrete mixes, such as high-strength and self-healing concrete, have improved the strength, durability, and resilience of structures. Self-healing concrete contains bacteria that can repair cracks, extending the life of buildings.

2.Green Building Materials: Sustainable building materials, like recycled steel, bamboo, and reclaimed wood, have gained popularity due to their low environmental impact. Additionally, materials like low-VOC paints and adhesives contribute to healthier indoor air quality.

3.Insulation Materials: Innovations in insulation materials, such as aerogels and vacuum insulation panels, provide superior thermal resistance while being thinner and more space-efficient compared to traditional insulation.

4.Energy-Efficient Windows: Smart windows with electrochromic or thermochromic properties can adjust transparency and insulation properties based on external conditions, reducing heating and cooling costs.

5.Advanced Roofing Materials: Cool roofs and solar reflective roofing materials help reduce heat absorption, making buildings more energy-efficient and comfortable.

6.Nanomaterials: Nanotechnology has led to the development of materials with enhanced properties, including improved strength, insulation, and self-cleaning capabilities. Nanocomposites are being used in various construction applications.

7.High-Performance Timber: Engineered wood products like Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam have become increasingly popular as sustainable alternatives to traditional building materials like steel and concrete.

8.3D Printing: Additive manufacturing technologies, such as 3D printing, have been used to create complex building components and even entire structures, reducing waste and construction time.

S9.mart Materials: Materials with built-in sensors and actuators can monitor structural integrity and adjust properties in real-time, enhancing safety and efficiency.

10.Biomimetic Materials: Materials designed to mimic natural processes and structures have inspired innovative construction solutions. For example, materials that replicate the self-healing properties of bones or the strength of spider silk.

11.Carbon-Capture Building Materials: Some materials are being developed to absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the construction industry.

12.Recyclable and Modular Materials: Prefabricated modular building components made from recyclable materials are gaining popularity, as they enable faster construction and easy disassembly for reuse or recycling.

13.Transparent and Insulating Materials: Advancements in transparent materials with excellent insulating properties are used in energy-efficient building designs, such as vacuum-insulated glass.

14.Graphene: This versatile nanomaterial is being explored for its potential in construction, offering exceptional strength, conductivity, and barrier properties.

15.Biodegradable Materials: Environmentally friendly materials that break down naturally over time are becoming more important in sustainable construction practices.

These advances in building materials are driving innovation in architecture and construction, promoting sustainability, energy efficiency, and resilience in the face of changing environmental and societal needs. As technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more exciting developments in the construction industry.