If you are climate-conscious, you may be interested to know that conventional cement production accounts for a large portion of annual global carbon dioxide emissions. Concrete and cement have been the standard for building homes and skyscrapers for decades, but the energy required to produce cement, especially to fire limestone in kilns, has a huge environmental impact. However there is an alternative right under our noses. Australian researchers have introduced a new building alternative called Cardboard-Kinfined Rammed Earth, a material made only from soil, water and recycled cardboard. This innovation offers an interesting solution to the pollution caused by traditional building materials.
In addition to pollution from construction, construction sites produce millions of tons of physical waste each year, including discarded cardboard and paper. Finding ways to reduce both manufacturing’s carbon output and paper waste addresses two important issues at once. By looking back at ancient building practices and combining them with modern recycling technology, a team from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Australia’s renowned public research university, developed a method that not only eliminated the need for cement, but also reduced costs and streamlined the transportation of materials. This material proves that going green does not mean sacrificing structural stability. It can also be used as a good looking drywall alternative for your home. If you are looking for a solution to cover the dirt floor of your basement, rammed-earth is a good option, as well.
Read more: Home upgrades are a waste of money, according to HGTV’s Erin Napier.
Building low-rise structures using compacted soil
Hands let the soil flow through them – Paul Burr/Shutterstock
Using earth as a building material has been a practice for thousands of years. This technique is often referred to as rammed earth, the process of tamping soil with water. Historically, the challenge has been the material’s tendency to shift or separate when subjected to significant weight, leading modern builders to mix it into cement to make it more stable. RMIT researchers solved this by using recycled cardboard tubes to act as a structural jacket, holding the compacted soil mixture in place. Although this method does not require cement, it still produces a durable, solid material.
This cardboard tubing is unique because it holds wet soil during construction and stays in place afterward to provide continuous support. The durability of the finished column depends on the thickness of the cardboard tube, and the engineering team developed a mathematical formula that allows designers to calculate the strength of the material based on that thickness.
This material is also affordable. Researchers found that the cost of cardboard-confined rammed earth is less than one-third that of conventional concrete construction. The fact that local soil can be used also reduces the amount of materials and equipment needed to be transported to the construction site, making transportation and planning easier and reducing the overall cost of the project. By avoiding the use of cement altogether, this technology also eliminates the worry of finding a way to properly dispose of cement waste. This means it provides a clean build process from start to finish.
Other advantages of cardboard-confined rammed earth for construction
Stacked cardboard tubes for construction – vidiot/Shutterstock
One of the biggest advantages of this material is its environmental performance compared to conventional concrete. The process has a carbon footprint that is only about a quarter of that produced by traditional concrete construction that relies on cement. This is an 80% reduction in carbon production simply by substituting a recycled waste product for a manufactured one.
The material continues to provide environmental savings long after the structure is built. Rammed-earth structures have a natural ability to store heat, which means the walls can absorb thermal energy and slowly release it. It helps regulate the temperature of the building, keeping it cool during the hottest parts of the summer and warm during the cooler months. This has the potential to reduce utility-related carbon emissions and lower energy bills. While the use of rammed earth is promising for this, research teams are still working to determine how the material will hold up over many years of weather exposure and use.
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