Professor Demirel is a cofounder at Tandem Repeat Technologies and Huck Endowed Chair Professor at Penn State.
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Construction technology encompasses a range of modern equipment, machinery, software and modifications. Using sustainable construction technologies can greatly lessen the negative impact of buildings on the environment. These technologies can enhance energy efficiency, minimize water usage and use eco-friendly materials from construction to demolition.
Some examples of these technologies are prefabrication, 3-D printing, green roofs, solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling systems, and the use of sustainable materials. It is expected that as technology continues to advance, there will be more innovative approaches to constructing more sustainable buildings.
Advancements in biomanufacturing have the potential to improve construction technologies. Biomanufacturing involves utilizing engineered microorganisms to produce products with advanced properties. This innovative process can create valuable materials and compounds more efficiently and sustainably than traditional methods used in construction technologies.
From bioengineered concrete using diatoms to self-assembling materials and biosensors that can detect damage in structures, let’s take a look at some examples of innovative construction technology trends as a result of biomanufacturing.
Self-Assembling Materials
Concrete is a substance made by combining aggregates with a fluid cement that solidifies over time. Nevertheless, it's prone to cracking as time passes, which affects its beauty and jeopardizes its remarkable strength.
Material science has recently made advancements that could result in self-healing concrete, which would be an asset to the building industry. In self-healing concrete, microorganisms are stimulated with nutrients to promote growth and metabolic activity. These organisms' resulting enzymes catalyze reactions that ultimately form substances for healing the cracks.
This technology could be used in constructing both military and civilian airports' runways, which experience wear and tear over time. If the runways are built with self-healing materials, they can repair themselves, ensuring that the surfaces remain suitable for aircraft use.
Bioengineered Concrete Using Diatoms
Cement is used in various conditions in construction. When dry ingredients react with water, cement becomes adhesive, protecting the hardened material from chemical attack. The cement industry significantly contributes to carbon dioxide emissions, making its environmental impact significant. Cement manufacturers reduce carbon dioxide emissions by introducing carbon capture and sequestration, improving energy efficiency and longevity of buildings.
Biomanufacturing could be used to develop innovative additives for cement chemistry. For instance, diatoms have been employed in construction to enhance cement’s mechanical and rheological features. Diatoms are single-celled aquatic organisms with a porous silica cell wall. They are sustainable sources for several construction industries, composed of 80–90% silicon and clay minerals, and can be used in concrete to improve material strength.
Additionally, it is possible to modify diatoms to create valuable products genetically. However, it is essential for the biomanufacturing industry to achieve cost parity (around $100 per metric ton) in the use of diatoms for concrete engineering purposes.
Structural Health Monitoring Using Biosensors
Structural health monitoring involves observing and analyzing a construction over time using periodically. These measurements assist in engineering structures by improving their material properties. Usually, structures are monitored using strain sensors, crack detectors and vibrational and piezometer sensing to measure loads, compression, tension, bending and torsion.
Microorganisms can dynamically sense and respond to diverse environmental conditions. Biosensors are genetically engineered microbes that report on specific conditions. They offer an alternative to traditional analytical tools used in structural health monitoring since they can convert ultra-low signals into easily detectable outputs.
Through biomanufacturing, it is possible to customize microorganisms to precisely adjust the input for construction engineering using synthetic biology. Introducing synthetic microbes to construction sites faces technical challenges, but cell-free reactions using non-living biomolecular components can help overcome them.
Conclusion
These trends show that humanity can confidently and efficiently produce sustainable construction materials and damage sensors while preserving our natural resources with the mastery of evolving technology. The hope is that this will create a more sustainable future with policies that support climate-positive manufacturing in the construction industry.
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