Innovation — Sustainable

New Sustainable Building Materials Developed from Trees Two new trees grown in the eastern United States have been identified for cross-laminated timber, a sustainable building material. Elizabeth Montalbano | Apr 07, 2020 Researchers have identified two tree species that they think are a good source of wood for a new sustainable type of building material that could promote a more environmentally friendly construction industry. The eastern hemlock and eastern white pine—two trees found natively in forests of the northeastern United States—potentially have the structural stability to be used as cross-laminated timber, or CLT, researchers at the University of Massachusetts (UMass)...

Nano-Engineered Window Is Self-Cleaning and Sustainable University College London (UCL) researchers have announced that a combination of thermochromatic coating and nano-scale engineering have created an innovative new window design could reduce cleaning costs and even heating bills by up to 40%. The surface of the prototype contains cone-shaped nanostructures that trap air and only allow a miniscule amount of water to contact the glass. In essence, rain will turn into balls upon striking the glass and roll off, removing dirt at the same time. With normal window glass, raindrops linger and roll down, leaving residue. According to the lead UCL researcher, this self-cleaning...

Joint Venture for Sustainable New Building Materials The joint venture dedicated to producing and distributing Durabric, a low-carbon and affordable alternative to traditional bricks made from burnt clay. The size of the initial joint investment is $10 million from both partners with the intention of additional finance for the company’s ongoing growth. The LafargeHolcim research and development (R&D) centre will be used to help 14Trees address the rising need for affordable homes for the billions of people across the globe who occupy earth-based dwellings. Several countries in Africa are dealing with climate change as a result of mass deforestation created by a demand for...