The future of construction is one filled with innovation and opportunity. Advances in tech has allowed many builders in Cardiff and the surrounding areas to find where the opportunities are. Self healing concrete and 3d printed houses will be part of the future of building.
- For example, the TERMES system was developed by Harvard researchers to develop a system of self organising robots to work together to build structures. The system was inspired by termite colonies who demonstrate swarm like intelligence. These robots are fitted with sensors and are given some sort of blueprint to work from and a set of traffic laws which tells them where they can and can’t go during construction. The huge advantage of this is that the robots can go where we are unable to easily build or places where it is too dangerous for humans to go.
- This technology isn’t directly associated with construction but it could benefit construction companies in terms of costs associated with travelling to sites. Smart roads are roads with wireless charging technology, first seen in South Korea these roads charge your electric vehicles whilst on the move. With this tech, there will be no longer a need to re-fuel thus saving money on cutting back on the dangerous fossil fuels.
- Now to all you builders out there, self healing concrete is one that we came across time and time again. A concrete mix is embedded with capsules of sodium silicate. When a crack forms, the capsules rupture and release a gel like healing agent that hardens to fill the void. The main advantage to this is the elimination of concrete cracks and expensive concrete maintenance.
- Finally, plant based foam. A polyurethane foam made from plant materials like hemp, kelp and bamboo that can be used in turbine blades, insulation and furniture. This material is not just non toxic but is made from sustainable sources. Hemp grows 3x quicker than trees. These materials are obviously much better than plastics currently being used and it has better insulation properties and higher thermal resistance.