Low carbon and traditional materials
Use of crop materials, such as straw and hemp, in construction offers renewable resource with potential negative embodied carbon.
Current research projects (Pete Walker, Mike Lawrence and Andrew Heath) include developing prefabricated straw bale panel systems and hemp-lime construction materials.
Unfired clay is a traditional building material that has developed new applications because of its low embodied carbon. Techniques under development include rammed earth and clay brick construction. The mechanism of carbonation of lime based materials is also being investigated (Richard Ball and Pete Walker). Enrico Fodde has led a number of conservation studies on historic earthen buildings.
The following research projects are currently ongoing or have recently been completed in the field of low carbon materials:
| Project | People |
|---|---|
| Low-cost field test kit for earth construction applications Full project details >> | Andrew Heath |
| Interactive systems and coatings for a sustainable built environment Full project details >> | Richard Ball |
| Development of hemp based composite materials for construction Full project details >> | Pete Walker |
| MODCELL: an innovative straw bale building system Full project details >> | Pete Walker and Andrew Heath |
| Developing a rammed earth for UK housing/strength characteristics of rammed earth Full project details >> | Pete Walker |
| Development of unfired clay brick systems for sustainable construction Full project details >> | Andrew Heath and Pete Walker |
| BaleHaus: a modern innovative low carbon housing system using prefabricated straw bale panels Full project details >> | Pete Walker and Andrew Heath |
| BaleHaus: manufacture of sustainable prefabricated straw bale houses Full project details >> | Pete Walker |
| On the passive climatic control of earth building materials Full project details >> | Andrew Heath and Enrico Fodde |
| Developing hemp-lime low carbon construction for mainstream uptake through innovation and optimisation Full project details >> | Pete Walker, Kevin Paine and Enrico Fodde |
| Bamboo guadua composites for construction Full project details >> | Martin Ansell and Pete Walker |
| Study of carbonation in novel lime based materials Full project details >> | Richard Ball and Pete Walker |
| EuroCell: EU market development of MODCELL (a prefabricated eco-building system utilising renewable materials) Full project details >> | Pete Walker |
