Turkey’s problem with stolen manhole covers may seem an unlikely starting point for a new way to protect buildings against earthquakes and address environmental issues in the construction industry, but when a Turkish businessman heard about a new material that could prevent theft, an idea was sparked.
Cast iron is traditionally used to make manhole covers that protect drainage systems. But back in 2010, a series of thefts of scrap metal lids in Turkey meant they needed to be protected using alternatives with the same robust material. When Engin Yesil read about this super-strong composite material in a news report, he wondered if it could be used to build buildings that could withstand earthquakes – Türkiye has major risks.
Yesil started making the composite, called Renco (short for “renewable composite”), which consists of up to 40% recycled materials, including resin and fiberglass. Since 2011, more than 200 buildings in Turkey have been built using Renco bricks, which fit together like Lego bricks and are secured with glue.
Yesil wondered if Renco had potential in the United States, and after more than a decade of research and testing, Renco built an apartment complex in Palm Springs in 2023.
In addition to being able to withstand catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes (the highest hurricane rating) Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale and This phenomenon is getting worse due to climate change), Renco claims to be more environmentally friendly than other building materials. The construction industry is “by far” the largest emitter of greenhouse gases of any industry. According to a 2023 United Nations reportaccounting for 37% of global emissions.
Renco (or Renewable Composites) is a Lego-style building system designed to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.
Renzo
Renco is about 80% lighter than concrete, which means more concrete can be transported per truck, and it also contains 82% less carbon than structural steel. Athena Institute for Sustainable Materials Commissioned by Lenko. Embodied carbon refers to the emissions released during the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of building materials.
Renco USA Managing Director Patrick Murphy said Renco is also 100% recyclable. The new composites mark a sea change in construction materials, he said. “In construction, there’s basically three ways to build, right? You have concrete, steel and wood, and that’s basically been the same thing for 100 years … so this is really the fourth way to build that’s been approved,” he told CNBC by video call.
This year, Renco will begin production in the United States for the first time, with a Florida factory opening in the coming weeks capable of producing enough bricks to build about 9,000 average apartments.
Like other materials used in construction, Renco has an environmental impact, and its blocks are currently being shipped from Turkey to the United States when the Florida facility is completed. And, while Renco’s Turkish manufacturing facility is powered by renewable energy, about 12% The electricity generated in Florida comes from nuclear power plants.
sustainable wood
Renco isn’t the only company working to become more sustainable. On the other side of the Atlantic, a British company is designing buildings using a well-known material: wood. Architecture firm Waugh Thistleton designed the first building made of cross-laminated timber (CLT) in 2001 and has since built around 30 buildings in the UK, Europe and the US. forest.
Building with wood instead of steel or concrete could reduce emissions by 19%, according to 2024 report University of Arkansas Researchat the same time a 2023 UN Report The construction industry is urged to move towards the use of sustainably sourced wood and bio-based building materials such as bricks to decarbonise the built environment.
The Black and White Building in Hackney, London, is the tallest “mass timber” office building in the city, with six floors. Designed by architect Waugh Thistleton, it has a carbon content one-third lower than similar buildings.
Forum|Waugh Thistleton
“The idea that we can build with replenishable materials becomes more and more important to us,” said Andrew Waugh, founder and director of Waugh Thistleton. “Then the more you do it, the more you realize the impact this has on health and There are benefits to well-being, in fact people are happier and healthier when surrounded by natural materials than when surrounded by polystyrene ceiling tiles and… drywall (wallboard).
But the UK has been slow to adopt timber as a building material, leaving Waugh “frustrated”. According to statistics, around 60% of the waste generated in the UK comes from the construction industry 2022 Government Reportand Waugh points out Timber construction produces very little on-site waste. Likewise, there are environmental concerns with building with wood: the wood used in Waugh Thistleton projects is often shipped from Europe.
built on water
Another phenomenon caused by climate change is sea level rise ——At the same time, it is aggravated by land subsidence.
In the independent coastal country of Monaco, known as the rich man’s playground because of its low taxes, a new “eco-community” called Mareterra has sustainability at its core. “With climate change, water-based architecture will become a strategic approach in certain coastal areas,” Guy-Thomas Levy Soussan, managing director of development at Mareterra, said in an email to CNBC. Levy Soussan added that the development aims to become a coastal A “model” for how cities can develop responsibly.
Monaco’s New Maretra development extends the independent nation into the Mediterranean. An underwater structure called a “cassion” was built to act as a flood barrier and encourage marine life to flourish.
Xavier Duwater | AFP | Getty Images
A technique called the “caisson” method was used during the construction process. The 27-meter-high reinforced concrete structure was built in Marseille, France, and then floated to Monaco so as not to disturb marine life. In addition to acting as flood barriers, they also serve as habitat for marine life, Levy Soussan said.
A so-called “eco-reef village” has also been built. They consist of more than 300 modules and are installed in the sea area where the development is located. Ecological “corridors” mean fish can reach the village, while protected seagrass species known as posidonia are relocated to provide the ecosystem. Levy Soussan said the ecological measures will be monitored for at least ten years and the Monaco government will use the insights to guide future maritime plans.
The future of sustainable architecture
Both Waugh and Murphy expect the construction industry to move towards more sustainable materials.
“It’s inevitable because, you know, the better other industries do at reducing their carbon burden, then exposed buildings are going to be outliers,” Waugh said.
The founder of Waugh Thistleton added that regulation could be the force the construction industry needs to become more sustainable.
this British Green Building Council The UK government is being called upon to further meet environmental targets for new homes, while in Singapore the government has added proposals to include older buildings in its mandatory energy improvement regime. Previously, it focused on new construction or buildings undergoing extensive renovations.
Murphy said the industry “must” reduce emissions. “In a lot of senses, this industry flies under the radar, right? People talk about airplanes and cars and dairy cows and, you know, a lot of other… emissions. A lot of people don’t realize how bad cement is and don’t realize To see how bad the quality of the cement is.
Embodied carbon has been the focus of attention U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Construction company Skanska USA has developed a tool called EC3 to help construction projects quantify their emissions.
Dalston Works is a residential building in east London designed by Waugh Thistleton. Its core and exterior walls, floors and stairs are made of cross-laminated timber, and the building’s exterior is clad in Victorian-style brickwork. Using wood helps reduce a building’s carbon footprint.
Daniel Shear | Waugh Thistleton
Steve Clem, senior vice president of project planning and sustainability at Skanska USA Building, said the tool encourages some suppliers to reduce embodied carbon.
When Skanska evaluated concrete companies for a large project in Seattle, it used EC3 to show each company how their materials performed in terms of embodied carbon. “When different vendors see how their product portfolios compete with each other, they will voluntarily take steps to improve their product portfolios at no cost to consumers,” Clem told CNBC via email.
The vice president is optimistic about the future. “The construction industry is doing more towards sustainability now than at any time in history, or at least since the industrial revolution… My hope for the future is that sustainable construction becomes the norm and more people The opportunity to live, work and play in a carbon-free building,” Klem said.
