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.
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.
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.
