Account
Please wait, authorizing ...

Do you have an account? Create one now.

×

Self-healing building cladding for erosion protection

Protección

International. Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have developed an innovation for a pioneering new limescale wash for building surfaces, which uses bacteria to form a barrier against erosion damage.

Lime slurry contains non-pathogenic bacteria, which increase the amount of CO2 that the surface of a building can absorb through photosynthesis.

This, in turn, generates additional calcium carbonate that forms a more robust barrier against erosion, as well as encouraging self-healing mechanisms.

Believed to be the first of its kind, the team is developing a pre-production prototype, based on research from the University's Zero Carbon Laboratory and manufacturing expertise from UK Hempcrete Ltd, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) through the Design Exchange Partnership programme.

- Publicidad -

Both organisations have partnered with whisky makers Whyte & Mackay Ltd, which have agreed to test the prototype at their distillery on the island of Jura off Scotland's west coast.

Currently, wind-driven rain on the island damages the distillery's building surfaces, resulting in the need for a new annual coating.

Not only does it disrupt production and tourism, but it increases the company's carbon emissions, as they transport materials to the island and perform maintenance work.

The new, more robust self-healing surface is expected to reduce maintenance frequency, reduce distillery and tourism disruption, and reduce carbon emissions caused by frequent maintenance, while actively absorbing carbon, thus supporting Whyte & Mackay's zero-carbon target.

Over time, it will improve the carbon uptake of the building surface, strengthening the outer layer and reducing maintenance requirements. The team aims to have the prototype ready by July during a test period of 3 to 6 months.

Ljubomir Jankovic, Professor of Advanced Building Design and founder of the Zero Carbon Lab at the University of Hertfordshire, said: "We are excited to see the potential impact our research will have on the resilience and maintenance of the distillery. After the planned field tests, there is scope for this method to be used on a much wider scale."

"In addition to supporting Whyte & Mackay's zero-carbon goals, we also intend to give the local community, businesses and homeowners the opportunity to use the product. This will help them reduce traditional maintenance costs, supporting environmental goals and the local tourism economy," Jankovic added.

- Publicidad -

Alex Sparrow, Managing Director of UK Hempcrete, said: "This collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire and White & Mackay is a perfect fit for UK Hempcrete.

"This is an opportunity to develop an innovative new low-carbon product alongside the development of primary research at the University while also seeing its application in a real-world context. This fits exactly with our ethos of improving the technical performance of buildings in the real world, while reducing their carbon footprint," Sparrow added.

Federico Duarte
Author: Federico Duarte
Editor en Latin Press, Inc.
Comunicador social y periodista con experiencia de más de 15 años en medios de comunicación. Apasionado por hacer de la vida una historia para contar. [email protected]

No thoughts on “Self-healing building cladding for erosion protection”

• If you're already registered, please log in first. Your email will not be published.

Leave your comment

In reply to Some User
Suscribase Gratis
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSLETTER
DO YOU NEED A PRODUCT QUOTE?
HIGHLIGHTED INTERVIEWS

Entrevista con Sergio Zárate de Lanxess

Entrevista con Sergio Zárate Empresa: Lanxess Realizada por Ana María Mejía Evento: LACS 2019 - México Junio 2019

Entrevista con Roberto Barrera de Lubrizol

Entrevista con Roberto Barrera Empresa: Lubrizol Realizada por Ana María Mejía Evento: LACS 2019 - México Junio 2019

Entrevista con Miguel Ángel Castillo de Evonik

Entrevista con Miguel Ángel Castillo Empresa: Evonik Realizada por Ana María Mejía Evento: LACS 2019 - México Junio 2019

Entrevista con Marcos Basso de Eastman

Entrevista con Marcos Basso Empresa: Eastman Realizada por Ana María Mejía Evento: LACS 2019 - México Junio 2019

Entrevista con Juan Carlos Orozco de DOW

Entrevista con Juan Carlos Orozco Empresa: DOW Realizada por Ana María Mejía Evento: LACS 2019 - México Junio 2019
Load more...
SITE SPONSORS










LATEST NEWSLETTER
Ultimo Info-Boletin