Construction Technology and Innovation free essay sample

It will be important look at things such as cost, thermal performance, maintenance and installation. From this report, it should give insight into the feasibility of some of the technology discussed. Table of Figures Figure 1: Novacem carbon negative cement Figure 2: Nanotechnology Carbon Nanotubes Figure 3: Photovoltaic laminated glass Figure 4: Phase change materials in flat roof construction Figure 5: Water sourced heat pump, domestic dwelling Figure 6: Water sourced heat pump, commercial building 1 1 Foundations or groundwork’s- Novacem carbon negative cement Figure 1: Novacem Carbon negative cement. Figure 1: Novacem Carbon negative cement. The cement industry produces around 5% of the global manmade co2 emissions. 50% of these emissions come from the chemical process and another 40% from burning fuel. For every 1000kg of cement produced then nearly 900kg of Co2 is produced. One of the most innovating and friendly technologies in my opinion is Novacem Carbon Negative Cement. Novacem developed a cement based on magnesium oxide. During the manufacturing process of this new cement, more Carbon Dioxide is absorbed than emitted. Advantages of Novacem * No CO2 emissions from the raw Materials * Low temperature allows full use of fuels with low energy. * Provides high mechanical strength * Reduced up to 900Kg Co2 per Ton of replaced cement Disadvantages * High pressure/high cost system * Corrosion/reliability of system components * High energy requirement for raw materials milling * No information regarding the influence of the parasite oxide that Could be existing in the natural raw material * No information about the durability of the concrete produced with this Material. This technology is considered innovative and would save a lot of Co2 emissions if used for the foundations. Although it might be more costly than traditional cement, for a greener future, the extra cost is still feasible. 2 2 Structure or frame- Nanotechnology Nanotechnology, although it has not yet peaked in its revolution, it is a piece of technology that in years to come will continue to grow across a number of materials and uses. Nanotechnology is basically, engineering at a molecular scale, and deals with dimensions of 100 nanometres or less (1 nanometre is 1 billionth of a meter). Carbon Nanotubes are hollow fibres which have a massive strength to weight ratio because of their engineered structure and when bound with polymers can add strength to anything, such as timbers, Steel or another building material. The use of nanotechnology in the construction industry can provide longer spanning beams, with lower need for intermediate support. These beams can also become thinner and lightweight due to their density whilst maintaining their structural properties. Along with good structural performance, they also have good thermal properties which will benefit the building. Advantages * Carbon nanotubes create lightweight, but strong materials * Good thermal properties * Smaller materials, take up less room * Easier to install due to light weight Disadvantages * Sourcing of materials may be difficult * Costing’s * Still in its early days so there may be room for improvement. The applications for nanotechnology are endless in the construction industry, however the technology in building materials might be in its early stages, and this is definitely a technology that will grow. 3 3 Cladding or windows- Photovoltaic Laminates Glass Photovoltaic laminated glass is special glass which is integrated with solar cells that convert the solar energy into energy for the building. For a large building with glass facades, there could be sufficient electricity processed from these cells to power the entire building. The solar cells are embedded between two glass panes and then a special resin is put between the panes which keeps the cells in place. All the cells are link throughout the module which generates a direct electrical current. Photovoltaic glass panes are also desirable due to their shading preventing too much solar gain which overheats the building and there positive thermal properties. Advantages * Sustainable * Good thermal properties * Gives the internal space shading * Lower heating bills as they provide clean energy for the building * Long life cycle Disadvantages * Higher costs Given the design of the other buildings on the university campus, with large portions of glass, these photovoltaic panes of glass would conform to other buildings and also lower costs. 4 Roof- Phase Change Material (PCM) A roof that does not perform well can lead to discomfort and expensive heating demands. During hot days the roof can over heat and during the cold nights a lot of heat is lost. This can be solved by applying a phase change material (PCM) which is a highly productive thermal storage material. The phase change material is a non-combustible salt hydrate with latent heat storage capacities of around 340 Kj/kg, th e material changes state from solid to liquid and back to solid again. During this process heat is absorbed or released. In the example above, latent heat absorption of the PCM A on hot days reduces heat flux into the building, and latent release of the PCM B in cold nights reduces the heat flux out of the building which decreases heating demands. Energy Savings * Decreased heating demands up to 25% * Decreased cooling demands up to 40% Advantages * Enhanced building comfort * Decreased heating and cooling loads on the building * Increased energy efficiency * Compatible with conventional roof materials Disadvantages High material costs * Specialist labour, high installation cost 5 5 This material although costly, will save money in the long run. Building Services- Water source heat pump Water source heat pumps are becoming more common as the rise in energy costs increase. Water stores a large amount energy from the sun, which can be extracted at a very efficient rate by using these pumps. They work in a similar way to a fridge, the pipes on the back of the fridge take the warmth out of the inside of the fridge and In turn these pipes become warm. This is the process a water source pump uses, the pipes extract the energy from the source, except in this case this heat is harnessed and used to warm the internal space of the building. Advantages * Utilisation of wasted energy * Long life cycle * Silent whilst operating * Lower heating costs Disadvantages * Installation costs * Not applicable if there is no source of water * Additional planning permission This technology would give the opportunity to utilise energy in the nearby source which currently does nothing. 6 6 External works- Slot Drainage Although it is not a ‘new’ piece of technology in the construction industry, the innovation is in the simplicity of the design. Slot drainage is one approach to surface water collection. Unlike a grate and duct system, this slot drain in particular is a channel systems which is manufactured from a polymer concrete and has a hollow section and a intake slot which is visible from the surface. The rain water falls through the intake slot into the hollow channel, which at the end of each module another is abutted, creating a seamless valley for the water to drain through. Advantages * Robust and durable * Unobtrusive with attractive appearance * Cost effective * Rapid installation * Wear resistant * Minimal maintenance Disadvantages N/A 7 7 Conclusion- To conclude, this report has shown that there are very efficient methods of construction and materials that can be substituted for the traditional items which are much for productive and cleaner sources of energy. The question is, when does technology and innovation in an attempt to create a greener planet, become unreasonable, and to an extent completely unfeasible.