Constructed as an interlocking bio-material building block from sugarcane pulp, Sugarcrete was made in collaboration with Grimshaw Architects and the University of East London (UEL).
It was developed as a low-carbon and low-cost construction material as an alternative to brick and concrete material.
The concept, design, and production of the developed material were led by University of East London staff and lecturer Armor Gutierrez Rivas, including co-director Alan Chandler of the Sustainability Research Institute and research fellow Bamdad Ayati.
The UEL team developed the material with the support of sugar brand Tate & Lyle Sugars, together with architect Elena Shilova of Grimshaw Architects and Andy Watts, director of design technology at Grimshaw.
Sugarcane, which is produced around two billion tons every year worldwide, is known as the world's most-harvested crop due to its production volume. 600 million tons of fiber pulp is obtained from this product.
The Sugarcrete material is designed to be four times lighter than the use of conventional bricks and to account for 15 to 20 percent of the carbon footprint of conventional bricks. In addition, the pulp must be mixed with mineral binders to obtain the Sugarcrete material.
According to the design team, it is predicted that the material produced will cost less than concrete and its carbon emission will be lower than concrete.
The project team plans to further develop the trademark of UEL, which has been nominated for the 2023 Earthshot Award.
You can find the details of the project from the link below.
https://www.arkitera.com/haber/seker-kamisindan-yapi-blogu-sugarcrete/
