The BioBuild project showcases biocomposite structures for use in construction

BioBuild, a European Commission funded project coordinated by NetComposites, will showcase biocomposite structures, including a building-façade panel, a cladding kit, a suspended ceiling and an internal-partition system, at EcoBuild which is being held at ExCel, London on 3-5 March 2015, from its stand N6042.

Biobuild is a collaborative project part-funded by the European Commission. It has 13 partners from seven European countries. The aim of the project was to investigate the use of biocomposite materials to reduce the embodied energy in building components such as façade panels, cladding, ceiling and internal-partition systems by at least 50% over current materials with no increase in cost. These allow the use of sustainable, low-carbon construction materials, replacing aluminium, steel, fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs), brick and concrete in new-build and refurbished structures.

During EcoBuild, there will be four systems on display:

• External wall panel – A 4m self-supporting, vertical element. The panel consists of an outer skin of biopolyester resin reinforced with Biotex flax fabric.
• External cladding kit – A system with no load-bearing function intended for vertical or near-vertical building envelopes. The kit is made from flax-polyfurfuryl alcohol panels.
• Internal partition kit – A self-supporting, non-load-bearing, vertical structure element used to subdivide a given floor space visually and acoustically. The kit will use skins of jute-polyfufuryl alcohol and has an insulating core. The panel skin is filled with fire retardant additives to meet fire safety standards
• Suspended ceiling kit – A system intended for internal use only. It will consist of lamella suspended from the structural ceiling. The material is jute fabric reinforced bio-polyester resin.

Partners will be available on the stand throughout the event to discuss the four systems and the materials used to create them.

Also, during the event, Guglielmo Carra, Senior Engineer for project partners ARUP, will be presenting “Bio-composite materials for building construction systems” in the session “Towards a photosynthetic architecture: The role of bio-based materials in the built environment.” The session will be held on the 3rd March 2015, from 4:15pm to 5:45 pm.

Source

BioBuild, press release, 2015-02-20.

Supplier

ARUP
Ecobuild
European Commission
European Union
NetComposites

Share