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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

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Products: bio bricks

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      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016 edited
     
    Possibly an interesting new product - bricks that are grown. :bigsmile:

    "BioMason injects sand with microorganisms to initiate a process like the one that creates coral. The technique takes four days."

    http://biomason.com/

    http://cleantechnica.com/2016/02/29/huge-cuts-in-brick-co2-emissions-coming-from-startup-biomason/

    All the photos seem to be of grey bricks; I wonder if they can make other colours?
    • CommentAuthorowlman
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Fascinating stuff indeed. Maybe the colour changes with the sand type. Even if it doesn't spraying them is not beyond possibility.
    • CommentAuthorMarkyP
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    interesting. They indicate going to market in 2017 and being competitative with regular bricks. Could the process overall be carbon negative? Some energy is needed to heat a steady supply of warm water. I think the baterial action must have a required sweet spot in terms of water temp but this heat could be partly or fully dervied from renewables as I would assume a modest water temp would be needed, plus inputs further reduced with insulation and heat recovery. It looks like a very promising idea.
    • CommentAuthortorrent99
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Looks like those days spent on the beach making sandcastles weren't wasted after all!

    It also sounds like it might be possible to use other base materials than sand? How about insulating materials leca? Polystyrene?

    Also could the technique be adapted to make foundations literally formed from the subsoil itself?
    • CommentAuthorringi
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016 edited
     
    In 100 years time we will know how well these bricks last......

    But could this process be used to combine insulation with a "brick like" surface?
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      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016 edited
     
    Posted By: ringiIn 100 years time we will know how well these bricks last......

    Yes, there's a mention that the bricks compare with sandstone, whereas I think most fired bricks are considerably harder, but hopefully modern test methods will be able to characterise them a lot faster than 100 years.
    • CommentAuthorgravelld
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Posted By: djhPossibly an interesting new product - bricks that are grown.
    You mean like... trees? :wink: :surprised:
    • CommentAuthorringi
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Now if the sand could be put into big molds on side and the system run, so that a “solid” property is made, so avoiding the need to use mortar etc, it start to get interesting.
    • CommentAuthorEd Davies
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    You could have pipework built into the mould to introduce and remove the nutrient solution.
    • CommentAuthorMarkyP
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    ICF - insulated coral forms :-)
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      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Posted By: MarkyPI would assume a modest water temp
    One of those rare uses for 'waste' heat which is otherwise dissipated to atmosphere.

    Cars/trucks could drive around making bricks in the boot from the cooling water or exhaust heat - how to use that at least 60% of fuel's energy that's wasted in the heat-to-mechanical energy process, is a big problem.

    Actually, ships could grow their cargo as they travel!
    • CommentAuthortorrent99
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016 edited
     
    Posted By: fostertom
    Actually, ships could grow their cargo as they travel!


    Ships could grow THEMSELVES as they travel! :bigsmile:
    •  
      CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Posted By: torrent99
    Posted By: fostertom
    Actually, ships could grow their cargo as they travel!


    Ships could grow THEMSELVES as they travel!

    I think the ferro bit in ferrocement yacht is quite important!
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Tom
    The extra mass would kill the performance.
    •  
      CommentAuthorfostertom
    • CommentTimeFeb 29th 2016
     
    Balance that against the effective fuel saving (beneficial use of calorific value that is otherwise jetisoned), as well as the profitability of the product.

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