To combat the main challenges of the construction industry, low productivity, high contribution to solid waste and depletion of natural resources, future technologies in Civil Engineering will focus on digitization and automation of the production process and exploration of alternative and sustainable construction materials. This research project contributes with the development of a new building material using primarily local raw materials and resources, hence reducing or even avoiding large-scale transportation of material and equipment. The material composition includes biological waste products as a binding agent (biopolymer) replacing the traditional cementitious component used in conventional concrete. This new biopolymer concrete (BPC), has special properties with respect to manufacturing, workability, strength and mechanical and environmental robustness that open up for unprecedented possibilities in building design. Especially its workability allows new construction technologies like 3D printing to unfold their potential on a broader scale.
This concept was developed particularly for remote Arctic regions, where up to date almost no usable raw materials for construction can be found. Here, this research wants to provide a local and sustainable building material source. Biopolymers can be obtained from waste products origin from the food industry. The BPC material could serve a wide purpose range and impact on the construction industry on a global scale far beyond the Arctic context.
Supervisors: Holger Koss, Lisbeth M. Ottosen and Gregor Fisher (DTU Byg)