The modern construction industry is characterised by scientific research and the development of new methods to ensure efficiency in material usage and wastage.
Living Building Materials (LBMs) are the marvels of scientific research in the construction industry that are set to alter building materials’ composition and usage. This analogy will also be used for the buildings as the LBMs will be a standard construction tool.
The construction industry is considered one of the resource-intensive industries that do not correlate to sustainable practices.
Against this backdrop, Graana.com highlights the concept of Living Building Materials – a scientific revolution in the construction industry.
According to the statistics, almost thirty percent of the building materials delivered on the site are wasted. Therefore, the LBMs are the most appropriate tool for ensuring sustainable construction.
LBMs are analogous to the human body; as a human body heals itself after suffering an injury or a scar, living building materials have the same self-healing property. Therefore, such building materials are also called biological materials due to the microorganism present in their structures.
Such materials’ properties can help heal the cracks and combat toxins in the air. The self-healing construction materials have to be altered according to the environmental conditions as external factors like moisture and temperature can impact the properties of such building materials.
Mushrooms and fungus have provided a great breakthrough in developing such materials owing to regenerative properties. Mushrooms and fungi contain mycelium, which absorbs nutrients from the environment, making it a significant component of LBMs.
Owing to the sustainable features of mycelium, it is going to be a game-changer in sustainable construction. Some of the examples include bio cement and self-replicating concrete.
A notion is attached to the housing and construction industry that these two contribute immensely to the pollution in the cities. It is a known fact that the cement industry is considered one of the major pollutants globally.
According to the stats, cement is responsible for emitting eight percent of the world’s total CO2. It will not be long before the same buildings start to absorb toxins and pollutants from the air, which will help to diminish health-related issues in the city.
Courtesy of mycelium, the LBMs can self-heal and contain pollution in the cities. Not only the envelopes of the buildings but mycelium-based products also have significant applications in the interiors of the buildings.
One of the essential aspects of LBMs is that they can drastically reduce the costs of inputs used in construction. For example, many people spend hefty amounts on maintaining and renovating the buildings.
Owing to the regenerative properties, the cost of building maintenance and structure can be reduced simultaneously.
Sometimes, the buildings have to be completely razed after their lifespan is over. Due to the ability to heal, the lifespans of the buildings will be increased, which will help to overcome the construction waste and input costs.
One of the many benefits of using mycelium-based construction materials is that they are fully biodegradable, making them an essential component of sustainable construction.
Apart from being a conducive element for the maintenance of the buildings, LBMs are also appropriate for the insulation indoors. The mycelium-based material can absorb more heat than the traditional materials made of fiberglass.
Hence, these materials are replacing the use of fiberglass, particularly in the insulation panels. Some of the properties make such materials conducive to fireproofing, making them water-resistant that corresponds to the health and safety of a house and its inhabitants.
What makes these substances suitable for living environments is that they do not contain Petro-based chemicals which can have harmful impacts on the environment and health alike.
Through scientific studies, it has also been proved that mycelium-based construction materials also have sound dampening properties. As noise pollution is a growing concern in the cities, new buildings can use such materials for reducing noise.
It is estimated that mycelium-based materials can absorb 75pc of the acoustic noise at 1000hz, the frequency equivalent to traffic in the cities.
This proves that such materials have the property to become a significant part of sustainable construction owing to the combined properties of noise reduction and fireproofing.