Build your professional network on facebook via our app Go to app
 
 1 of 4 in Topic  Next >>
 
Industry : Construction Functional Area : Innovation
Activity:  7 comments  264 views  last activity : 09 30 2011 09:10:38 +0000
 Refer 646
Share
 
 
 

A really good article which I found online by Beth Buczynski, where people are using trash to build infrastructure and are going sustainable in this way....To know more read on further...


In a recent post, I highlighted a study that questioned whether or not recycling is really the greenest fate for plastic waste.

The reader response was passionate and varied, but one comment stood out: Care2 member Julieta S. wrote, "I think we should start making garbage bricks... some would stand for more than hundreds [of] years... right? (please steal this idea)."

While I had never thought of making bricks from trash, it seemed like a sensible way to build green structures using the ultra-durable plastic waste that's causing our planet so much trouble.

Here's what I found...thanks for the idea Julieta!

1. "Ecological Bricks" for Low-Income Housing in Argentina

Argentina's Experimental Center for Economical Housing (Centro Experimental de la Vivienda Económica – CEVE) has developed a brick made of used food (primarily candy) wrappers and plastic (primarily PET) soda and water bottles.

The raw materials are supplied by Córdoba's selective collection plant, collection points in schools and government agencies, plus rejects from the local bottling plant.

3 Trashy Ideas For Building Greener Cities

The plastics are ground up and then mixed with Portland cement and chemical additives to make the bricks (pictured above) and something CEVE calls "brick plates." The CEVE project hires unemployed youth (between 18-24 years old) to make the bricks. The participants can use the bricks to build their own mini-houses (The Temas Blog).

2. "Byfusion" Machine Makes Building Blocks

It took a New Zealand man 10 years to put together a prototype recycling machine that could turn raw plastic into useful building materials, but now, the "Byfusion" machine is spitting out the building blocks of a multimillion-dollar business.

Peter Lewis' machine can swallow most types of raw plastic and turn it into compacted plastic bricks or other shapes.

A new brick, formed from over 20 pounds of plastic, emerges from the recycling machine every 30-45 seconds.

The rock-hard bricks can be used for garden retaining or landscaping walls, and have other potential uses including shock absorbers behind crash barriers (Otago Daily Times).

3. Interlocking Polli-Bricks Made From Plastic Bottles

Earlier this year, Taiwan jumped to the front page of green websites all over the world when it was announced that a building commissioned by Far Eastern Group was built using bricks made from 1.5 million plastic botles.

These Polli-Bricks create an interlocking shape that's light weight and structural at the same time.  When connected, Polli-Bricks almost look like a honeycomb. The building, dubbed the EcoARK, can be taken apart and reassembled at another side with relative ease, and was and later donated to city government in Taipei.

Do you know of other cool building techniques that utilize waste? Share them in a comment!

 Top Comment : Chandra shekhar   | 10 16 2010 09:28:07 +0000
http://www.harneedi.com/index.php/pharma-articles/2588-vertical-farming-the-future-of-farming Vertical farming, could be the potential solution The idea of vertical farming is similar to indoor farming, but differs in many other aspects. This indoor farming was not new in Indian as well as in International community. 2Indoor farming was employed to grow tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, cucumbers, herbs, spices, wide variety of herbs, and many other food crops. 3The concept of vertical farming was developed by Dickson D. Despommier, president of Vertical Farm Technologies LLC, USA, along with the help of 94 graduate students of Columbia University. Vertical farming is a type of agricultural technique that make use of large-scale agricultural area of of urban "farm-scrapers". 4Using recycled resources and greenhouse methods such as hydroponics, these buildings would produce fruit, vegetables, edible mushrooms and algae year-round. Advantages of Vertical farming It elevates round the year crop production. It eliminates agricultural runoff. It remarkably reduces the use of fossil fuels (as observed in machines and transport of crops). It makes proper use of abandoned or unused properties. It prevents crop failures, as is observed due to unsuitable weather condition. It offers maximum possibility of sustainability for urban centers. It makes the conversion of black and gray water to drinking water possible by collecting the water of trans-evaporation. It adds energy back to the grid via methane generation using inedible parts of crop plants. It avails fresh urban employment opportunities. It lowers the chance of acquiring infection from agents transmitted at the agricultural interface. It returns the farmland to nature, thereby helping to restore ecosystem function and services.
 
TrackBack URL:
7 comments on "3 Trashy Ideas For Building Greener Cities"
  Commented by  parimala.c.wagh, Tech Architect, Rites.Ltd/GC/BMRCL    | 09 30 2011 09:10:36 +0000
I have few questions it’s not to discourage the  invention. If this invention is used worldwide then, we can cut down the dumping area size.......and it will bring the revolution in environmental friendly material worldwide.
Have they done the brick testing ,is it suitable for all extreme weather condition, the strength of the material so that it can be called as building material?
Plz, if u could post the brochure along with tests approved by building materials certifying laboratories..........
One more question what is its reaction when a brick is subjected to heat?????As Mr. Flock said in his comments, he is doing research on plastics .that the safety helmet are design with special engineering technique ,so the helmets are firated..........when we r taking the wastage plastic to recycle, are we going to use some special technology to make plastic stronger so that it should not melt in hot condition and it should not become brittle............
As we know that the plastic won't give the prior indication before crushing that is the reason it is still not considered as building material. Though we use layers of plastic fibers into glass to make the glass tougher.......
sorry, am asking too many questions when i read this topic the question rises plz.iam more interested to know the answer for all these question to update my knowledge......
  Commented by  parimala.c.wagh, Tech Architect, Rites.Ltd/GC/BMRCL    | 09 29 2011 06:59:22 +0000
It’s a good piece of information thanks sheetal, If we develop this industry in India in future the cities won't get flooded due to accumulation of plastic in drainage system. And more job for people.
  Commented by  Dipak Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer, A private Ltd Consulting Co. in Delhi    | 10 22 2010 16:24:57 +0000
CBRI, Roorki! Are you reading?

Why not make some pilot projects on the above ideas?And then publish your findings.

Atleast our poor country will get some return of the honest tax payers money.

Thanks.
  Commented by  rakeshbhatnagar, GM Projects., wig brothers india pvt.ltd.    | 10 20 2010 08:04:02 +0000
SOLUTION PROVIDED IS ECOFRIENDLY AND MUST BE ADOPTED .IT WILL SAVE THE ENVIORMENT .NICE EFFORT.
  Commented by  Brigadier Sunil Chadha,, Retd    | 10 18 2010 08:31:51 +0000
thx sheetal - muliple benefits - useful.
  Commented by  SHRIKANT MANOHAR DANKE, Consultant, Project Management Consultancy Firm    | 10 16 2010 09:52:47 +0000
Solution given by Ms. Sheetal & Mr. Chandrashekhar is useful for green cities/ environment.
  Commented by  Chandra shekhar, Content Writer, Leading Clinical Research Company    | 10 16 2010 09:28:07 +0000
Rating : +1 
http://www.harneedi.com/index.php/pharma-articles/2588-vertical-farming-the-future-of-farming


Vertical farming, could be the potential solution

The idea of vertical farming is similar to indoor farming, but differs in many other aspects. This indoor farming was not new in Indian as well as in International community. 2Indoor farming was employed to grow tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, cucumbers, herbs, spices, wide variety of herbs, and many other food crops. 

3The concept of vertical farming was developed by Dickson D. Despommier, president of Vertical Farm Technologies LLC, USA, along with the help of 94 graduate students of Columbia University. 

Vertical farming is a type of agricultural technique that make use of large-scale agricultural area of of urban "farm-scrapers". 4Using recycled resources and greenhouse methods such as hydroponics, these buildings would produce fruit, vegetables, edible mushrooms and algae year-round.

Advantages of Vertical farming

It elevates round the year crop production.
It eliminates agricultural runoff.
It remarkably reduces the use of fossil fuels (as observed in machines and transport of crops).
It makes proper use of abandoned or unused properties.
It prevents crop failures, as is observed due to unsuitable weather condition.
It offers maximum possibility of sustainability for urban centers.
It makes the conversion of black and gray water to drinking water possible by collecting the water of trans-evaporation.
It adds energy back to the grid via methane generation using inedible parts of crop plants.
It avails fresh urban employment opportunities.
It lowers the chance of acquiring infection from agents transmitted at the agricultural interface.
It returns the farmland to nature, thereby helping to restore ecosystem function and services.
Add your comment on "3 Trashy Ideas For Building Greener Cities"

Rate:
Submit
 
Viewers also viewed
Air Pollution Education Is Necessory vs Air Pollution Education is Not Necessory
 
945 referals 16 arguments, 184 views
There was an article from Economic times which I follow most of the times, and today there was...
 
546 referals 46 arguments, 3430 views
Some people ahve talent of coming up with never thought before ideas and they work. How ? If we...
 
1994 referals 16 votes, 529 views
more...  
Recent Knowledge (107)
World IP Day, 26 April: "The Power of Ideas as the seedbed for innovation and creativity" "World...
4 referals 1 comments, 217 views
NANDKUMAR B.SAWANT.,M.COM.LL.B.(MUMBAI),ADVOCATE MOBILE.09325226691, 09271971251...
 
24 referals 17 comments, 10763 views
No 1: India Since 1991, when economic liberalization unshackled India from the slow rate of...
 
202 referals 5 comments, 93 views
more...  
More From Author
Office Etiquette or Office Manners is about conducting yourself   respectfully and courteously   in the office or workplace I have noticed that as we go from college to the real corporate world it is hard to get used to a different environment....
2012 satrted witha bad note, is it the end?
@Deepak Flyings.. quite a big dream :)   @ Rajiv : Its really wonderful to live a dream , isn't it ....
more...