LASN is a photographically oriented, professional journal featuring topics of concern and state-of-the-art projects designed or influenced by registered Landscape Architects.
Issue link: https://landscapearchitect.epubxp.com/i/320919
A new concrete-eating robot is out to rewrite the rules for industrial demolition and recycling. The ERO (short for "erosion") Concrete Recycling Robot uses water to break down concrete, and vacuums the component cement, sand, and aggregate into different packages for reuse. Dissembling and containing the materials on site could avoid the costs and pollution of pulverizing heavy chunks of concrete and metal and transporting them to recycling plants. "High-pressure water jets attack the micro cracks on the concrete surface, making it come apart," said Omer Haciomeroglu, the ERO's designer and a student at Umeå Institute of Design in Sweden. "It leaves the metal rebar inside naked and ready for reuse." The project won gold in the student designs category of the Industrial Design Society of America's International Design Excellence Awards last year. Though the design is just a concept for now, Haciomeroglu plans to build it and is considering manufacturing partners. Research and testing of a prototype is projected to take two or three years. 18 Landscape Architect and Specifier News h a rd s c a p e s n e w s Ceramic Waste Recast as Green Concrete Builders in Britain are facing a shortage of bricks amid a dramatic rise in demand for new homes, construction analysts report. The shortage of bricks was caused by a slowdown in manufacturing, as suppliers mothballed kilns during a drop in sales during the recession. It has taken some time to resume production at previous levels following the uplift in demand, according to the Federation of Master Builders (FMB), a trade association. The warning came as the FMB published its State of Trade survey for the first three months of 2014. The lack of materials risks hindering the ability of construction firms to keep pace with new orders, the report said, as workloads and employment in the construction industry increased for the fourth successive quarter. FMB Chief Executive Brian Berry said rising building costs and material shortages were cause for "serious concern." According to an industry trade group, brick manufacturers in Britain are struggling to keep up with increasing construction demand, which has grown for four consecutive quarters. A group of international researchers has developed a new type of cement made from ceramic waste that could prove to be stronger than traditional cement and require less energy to manufacture. Credit: rUVid AssoCiAtion The results of a study published by a group from the Institute of Science and Concrete Technology at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV- ICITECH), the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón, Imperial College London and the Universidade Estadual Paulista in Sao Paulo, Brazil, could open new opportunities for hardscapers and the ceramic industry. Researchers are working with waste bricks, sanitary products like sinks and toilets, and porcelain tile as concrete base materials. Ceramic waste is ground up and mixed with an activator solution – in this case sodium hydroxide, sodium silicate or rice husk ash – and water. The mix is poured into a mold and baked under high temperatures. Tests on a mixture made with red clay brick show it to be stronger than some common types of cement. The team focused on the performance of the products with residues of bathroom ceramic or porcelain tiles, and is analyzing new activating substances in search of a more sustainable final product. "We have already done tests with rice husk ash and the results are very positive. Its use would yield an even more sustainable and cheaper final product, because it would be composed almost entirely of reused waste," Barracho said. An award winning design for equipment that recycles concrete and separates it from rebar and other debris on the spot could provide new avenues for urban sustainability and pollution reduction. British Bricks in Short Supply Concrete Recycling Robot Targets Cleaner Demolition 18-19.indd 18 5/22/14 2:16 PM