ULTRAPERFORMING MATERIAL IN BUILDING DESIGN

 Throughout human history, material innovation has been defined by the

persistent testing of limits. Ultra-performing materials are those which are
stronger, lighter, more durable, and more flexible than their conventional
counterparts.
 These materials are important because they shatter known boundaries and
necessitate new thinking about the shaping of our physical environment.
 It should come as no surprise that ultra-performing materials are generally
expensive and difficult to obtain, although many of the following products are
being developed for a broad market.

A report by the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy concluded that
the whole-building approach creates buildings that are almost 70 percent more
efficient than those constructed by conventional methods. The whole-building
approach further saves money by reducing material and labor costs, minimizing
callbacks and warranty claims, reducing construction waste, and lessening the
purchase cost of mechanical equipment, like the HVAC system.

Four Characteristics of High-Performance Buildings

1. Energy-Efficient

High-performance buildings provide cost savings and positively impact the

environment because they use less energy.

2. Disaster-Resistant

High-performance buildings resist the impact of increasingly severe

weather and wildfires and protect both the structure and its occupants during a
natural disaster. A disaster-resistant design also lessens the financial and ecological
cost of repairing and rebuilding.

Features of a disaster-resistant-high-performance building include wind-, fire-, flood-,

and earthquake-resistance.
3. Durable
A durable, high-performance building provides long-term benefits from the
environmental and economic investment during its construction.

4. Excellent Indoor Environmental Quality

A high performing building provides a safe and productive indoor environment for its
occupants. Important IEQ features of a high-performance building include moisture-
resistance, excellent acoustics, and low-toxicity.

LIST OF MATERIALS SUBSTITUTE FOR CONVENTIONAL MATERIALS.

1. Advancements in Concrete
Ultra High Performance Concrete
Light Transmitting Concrete
Pervious Concrete
Aerated Concrete
Floating Concrete
2. Foamed Aluminum
3. Woven Stainless steel
4. Creative Weave Metal Mesh
5. Aerogel
6. Laminated Thermo Plastic Panels
7. Super Black

8. Banner works
9. Tension Fabric Structure

1. Advancements in Concrete

I) Ultra High Performance Concrete

Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC), is also known as reactive powder

concrete (RPC). The material is typically formulated by combining portland cement,
supplementary cementitious materials, reactive powders, limestone and or quartz
flour, fine sand, high-range water reducers, and water.

Fiber types often used in UHPC include high carbon steel, PVA, Glass, Carbon or
a combination of these types or others.

Strength:
Compressive: 17,000 to 22,000 psi, (120 to 150 MPa)
Flexural: 2200 to 3600 psi, (15 to 25 MPa)
Modulus of Elasticity: 6500 to 7300 ksi, (45 to 50 GPa)
Ultra-high performance concrete has a unique combination of superior
technical characteristics including ductility, strength, and durability, while
providing highly moldable products with a high quality surface aspect

First Use of Ultra-High Performance Concrete for an Innovative Train Station

Canopy, The Shawnessy Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station,CALGARY,CANADA.

The Design

The station's 24 thin-shelled canopies, 16.7 feet by 19.7 feet, and just 0.79 inch
thick, supported on single columns, protect commuters from the elements.
 Thin, graceful precast concrete shells provide an uplifting and airy
ambience for commuters.

A single, slender column gracefully supports

each precast concrete shell and serves as a
conduit for communication, security, and
electrical cabling
.

In addition to the canopies, the components include struts, columns, beams, and
gutters. The volume of material used totaled 105 cubic yards.

The precast canopy components were individually cast and consist of half-shells,
columns, tie beams, struts, and troughs.
II) Litracon – Light Transmitting Concrete
Translucent concrete (also: light-transmitting concrete) is
a concrete based building material with light-transmissive properties due to
embedded light optical elements — usually optical fibers. Light is conducted
through the stone from one end to the other.

“Litracon is a mixture of optical glass fibres and fine concrete.”

The glass fibres lead light through the two sides of the concrete.

Translucent concrete is used in fine architecture as a façade material and

for cladding of interior walls. Light-transmitting concrete has also been applied to
various design products.

Translucent concrete at Expo Bau, München/Germany

III)Pervious Concrete
It is a special type of concrete with a high porosity used for
concrete flatwork applications that allows water from precipitation and other
sources to pass directly through, thereby reducing the runoff from a site and
allowing groundwater recharge.

Pervious concrete is made using large aggregates with little to no fine aggregates.
The concrete paste then coats the aggregates and allows water to pass through the
concrete slab.

Pervious concrete is traditionally used in parking areas, areas with light traffic,
residential streets, pedestrian walkways, and greenhouses.
To prevent reduction in permeability, pervious concrete needs to be cleaned
regularly. Cleaning can be accomplished through wetting the surface of the
concrete and vacuum sweeping.

A pervious concrete street,,,

IV)Aerated Concrete
Aerated concrete is a compound of cement, lime, fly ash, and gas former
(aluminum powder). It is a high-efficient heat-insulating material made through the
molding and steam curing processes. It has the properties of heat preservation, heat
insulation, and sound absorption.

Aerated concrete is made by introducing air or gas into a slurry composed of

Portland cement or lime and finely crushed siliceous filler so that when the mix sets
and hardens, a uniformly cellular structure is formed.

Advantages of aerated concrete

 Wide range of dimensions: Aerated concrete products can be manufactured

in many different sizes, from standard blocks to large reinforced slabs
 Excellent heat insulation: Aerated concrete has an extremely low thermal
conductivity, resulting in a high degree of thermal efficiency. This means
considerable savings potential in heating and cooling costs
 Extremely light: Aerated concrete weighs about 50% less than comparable
building materials
 High compression strength: Aerated concrete is a solid product and therefore
extremely resilient. The entire surface is included in the calculation of structural
analysis
 High dimensional accuracy: Due to its dimensional accuracy, aerated
concrete is extremely easy to process, as no thick mortar is required
 High noise insulation: High noise insulation thanks to the porous structure of
aerated concrete
 High fire resistance: Aerated concrete has an extremely high fire resistance of
at least 4 hours and more
 Termite-resistant: Termites or other insects cannot damage aerated concrete
 Easy to handle: Thanks to the excellent size/weight ratio, building with cellular
concrete proceeds very fast
Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) is a lightweight, precast, foam
concrete building material suitable for producing concrete masonry unit like
blocks. Cured blocks or panels of autoclaved aerated concrete are joined with thin
bed mortar. Components can be used for walls, floors, and roofs.

SIZES
V)FLOATING CONCRETE

Floating concrete is a fluid mixture of density less than water, which is suitable to
build floating structures, reducing the consumption of land for buildings.

Floating concrete can be effectively used for building structures such as slabs,
barges, buildings etc. Since maximum portion of earth is covered with water, it
minimizes the consumption of land for construction works & this is an environment
friendly method of construction of boats replacing wood & metals.

A floating concrete structure is usually a solid body made of reinforced concrete &
an inner chain of chambers filled with a lightweight impermeable material, typically
polystyrene but, here the concrete is made to float by addition of aluminium powder
as an air entraining agent.

In addition to this, the concrete includes polypropylene fibers for good binding, nano
silica for increasing its strength, CaCl2 as an accelerator water proofingagent.
Aluminium mesh instead of steel mesh is used for reinforcement, for making it light
weight & corrosion resistant.

The concrete can be used for marine structures .

The durability of the structures is also high in comparison to that of the conventional
concrete

concrete floating dry dock, Batam, Indonesia .

2. Foamed Aluminum

Aluminium foam is a material made of Aluminium, which is also populated with a

large volume of pores or cavities.

It is a solid material filled with pores such that up to 95% of the volume consists of gas-
filled voids,in two different kinds of structures.

Depending on the density, appearance of the structure, shapes of cavities and

method of manufacture, these are known as Stochastic or Reticulated Foams and
Regular Stacked Cell Foams.

PROPERTIES

 Aluminium foam is both extremely durable and lightweight, with a large surface
area to volume ratio.
 Aluminium Foam is extremely strong and can absorb a great deal of
mechanical energy when deformed, making it an attractive material for
impact energy absorbers.
USES

Closed-cell Aluminium foam is widely used as a lightweight construction material,

both in its original format, and as sandwich panels, which are valued for their low
density and very high stiffness.

The main applications for this variety of foams are in the automotive
industry as impact, acoustic and vibration absorbers, the aerospace industry as
components for turbines or spatial cones, in the construction industry as a fire-
proof, structural and protective barrier against explosions or heavy sound, as
well as in the naval industry.

Open cell foams, on the other hand, are often employed for their filtration and
catalytic properties, as well as their response to high temperature.

They are used in structures such as heat sinks and exchangers, chemical beds
and scrubbers, filters and mist eliminators, and battery plates.

Beyond these more functional roles, the architectural and design applications of
Aluminium foam are extensive. In addition to its unique sponge-like appearance, it is
sought after here for its sound absorbing properties, making it ideal for applications
which require both acoustic absorption and beauty.
Aluminium foam panels are seen in facades, wall cladding, ceiling tiles or dropped
ceilings, retail displays, lighting fixtures, exhibits and more.

The porosity, lightweight nature and unique aesthetic of the material also makes it a
favorite for artists and designers creating lighting, furniture and decorative interior
products.

3. Woven Stainless steel

Stainless steel woven wire cloth is made stainless steel wire and then woven
together to form a square opening or oblong opening.

Stainless steel woven wire cloth has outstanding characteristics of resistance to

the rust, corrosion, acid, alkali, heat and chemical. Also the stainless steel
woven wire cloth has high strength and durability.

Stainless steel woven wire cloth has widely applications in the industries,
architecture, residences and other places.
 Features

 Excellent resistance to the rust and corrosion.

 Resistance to the acid and alkali.

 Cleaner and brighter appearance.

 Resistance to the chemical and harsh weather.

 There is no welded point; the woven wire is long lasting.

 High strength and durable.

 Versatility in fabrication. The stainless steel can be fabricated to various

weaving types, aperture size and diameter. It can fit different requirements of
the customers.

 Customized. We can supply the standard specification of the stainless steel

woven wire cloth, and the special specifics and requirements are available.

Stainless steel woven wire cloth is used in an almost unlimited number of applications
and industries. Some of the common application include filtering, protection,
feeding decorating.
 Stainless steel woven wire cloth can be used as woven wire filter cloth to filter
liquid, solid and gas in the filtering industries, such as the filter discs, filter tubes,
dipping baskets, test sieves, filter elements or strainers.
 Stainless steel woven wire cloth can be used as window screens in the
residences to prevent insects from entering the houses.
 The stainless steel woven wire cloth can be used in the architectural buildings
as the decorative woven wire mesh.
The decorative woven wire mesh is widely used in the residences, hotels, exhibition
halls and other places to supply the aesthetic sense. It has various type and different
sizes for choice.

Coil drapery
Coil drapery is a kind of light mesh with round woven wire and small openings. It can
be made to curtains, partitions, ceilings and wall decorations.
Application
sh is ideal for indoor decorative screens for hotel, exhibition hall and also for the
private residences.

Cable mesh
Cable mesh is woven from metal rods or metal cable and use of the materials
including stainless steel, and high strength corrosion-resistant chromium and other
metal wires. The cable rope can maintain the stiffness and high strength.
Application
 Cable mesh is widely used in building elevation, room dividers, ceilings, shades,
balconies and corridors.
 Cable mesh can be used in the hotels, museums, opera houses, concert halls,
office buildings, exhibition halls, shopping malls and other high grade places for
the internal and external decorations.
Decorative woven wire mesh
There are various other types of decorative woven wire mesh, they all have various
applications and specifications.

4. Creative Weave Metal Mesh

Architectural wire mesh mesh is a high-tensile, grade 316 stainless-steel

mesh that is commonly produced from 80% recycled material. Similar to the cloths
we wear, the material consists of several individual wires that are woven on
large weaving looms

Architectural Mesh opens up a wide range of creative design possibilities and is

the optimal solution in many areas:

Mesh facades
Sun protection facades
Wall coverings
Ceiling systems
Railing infill or acoustic systems

Different types of wire mesh combine sophisticated aesthetics with very different
functionalities. Depending on the application in architecture, metal mesh cladding
fulfils various tasks:

They serve to provide safety.

They act as a sunshade.
They contribute to sound insulation

Parking,Begles @france

The painted wire mesh fabric elements are UV-resistant and are suitable for both
interior an external applications.
5. Aerogel

Aerogels are among the lightest solid materials known to man. They are created by
combining a polymer with a solvent to form a gel, and then removing the liquid from
the gel and replacing it with air. Aerogels are extremely porous and very low in
density. They are solid to the touch. This translucent material is considered one of the
finest insulation materials available.

An aerogel is an open-celled, mesoporous, solid foam that is composed of a

network of interconnected nanostructures and that exhibits a porosity (non-solid
volume) of no less than 50%.

The term “mesoporous” refers to a material that contains pores ranging from 2 to 50
nm in diameter.

Aerogels are produced by extracting the liquid component of a gel

through supercritical drying or freeze-drying. This allows the liquid to be slowly dried
off without causing the solid matrix in the gel to collapse from capillary action, as
would happen with conventional evaporation. The first aerogels were produced
from silica gels.
Desirable properties of aerogel are listed below, with some of these properties also
the best known to man.

 Low mean free path of diffusion

 High specific surface area (for a non-powder material)
 Low thermal conductivity
 Low sound speed
 Low refractive index
 Low dielectric constant

Aerogels have been used or considered for use in laser experiments, sensors, thermal
insulation, waste management, for molten metals, for optics and light guides,
electronic devices, capacitors, imaging devices, catalysts, pesticides, and cosmic
dust collection.

The unique properties of aerogels offer many new applications in buildings.

They are user-friendly, recyclable and reusable.

 Application of Aerogel Insulation for Sustainable Building Construction

01. Aerogel Application on Walls

Aerogel insulation on the outer walls prevents heat from escaping into
outside environment. Aerogel blankets or sheets can be used to insulate the
exterior as well as the interior of the walls. Aerogel provides a one stop solution to
thermal insulation on walls having moisture issues.

Due to its moisture resistance property, it also makes a perfect choice for
damp walls.

02. Aerogel Application on Roof

The house may lose up to 25% of its heat through uninsulated or poorly
insulated roofing. This major loss of heat energy can be reduced substantially
by means of high quality thermal insulation measures.
 The main function of an insulation layer in the roof is providing warms in
winter and cools in summer. Such insulation also needs to save energy,
reduce Co2 emissions, and protect the house from structural damage.

Aerogel insulation can fulfil all these requirements by insulating the roof
cavities. This is achieved by applying thin layers strips of Aerogel onto the
roof.

03. Aerogel Application on Frame of Door and Window

In a typical building, the frames of doors and windows occupies up to 25% of

the building envelope. If these frames are left un-insulated, it can result in
great heat loss .

Hence, insulating all the frames of a house can stop this thermal bridging and
improve the thermal performance up to 40 percentage.
The hydrophobic properties of Aerogel insulation provide an additional barrier
to water by sealing tightly the door and window frames. This also limits or
reduces the loss of heat which is associated with the leakage of air.

04. Aerogel Application on Floor

The thermal efficiency, high compression strength combined with a thin profile
makes Aerogel insulation an attractive underfloor insulating layer. The
installation is easy and fast under the floor applications, and this can be done
without disturbing the door fittings.
Additionally, it is also a great cost effective solution for the renovation of
basements. Aerogel insulation can be used with radiant floors to save energy
and enable a faster heating cycle.

05. Aerogel Application on Highly Efficient Windows

Air leakage and cool bridging are the two most significant problems to
overcome in case of highly efficient windows. Insulation is equally important
in case of windows as well.
 06. Aerogel light weight concrete

Aerogel Concrete is a promising approach to fulfill the requirements for the

thermal insulation of buildings.

A cost-effective and easy to handle ultra light weight concrete system that
includes aerogel powder or granulate.

With Aerogel concrete

- the thermal insulation system is not required anymore.

- the additional plaster is not required.
- Wall sections can be thinner > More space to build or lease.
- labour costs and building costs will be decreased.

APPLICATIONS

 Pre-Fab wall or building elements

 Walls, Foundation, Balconies, ...
 Insulation Plaster
6. Laminated Thermo Plastic Panels
Thermoplastic composites consist of a resin matrix and reinforcement material
combined to provide specific performance characteristics. Thermoplastic
composites have better properties than conventional engineering materials.

Composite materials are defined by three primary types of components: a resin

matrix, an armature and operational additives.

Thermoplastic composites (TMCs) evolved from structural polymer composites.

These materials do not experience chemical instability because they utilize a
thermoplastic matrix.

Key Properties of Advanced Thermoplastic Composites:

 Low density, hence lightweight

 Good strength
 Good toughness
 Good environmental resistance
 Ability to be remolded
 Compositions can be customized to suit a range of temperature and
environmental conditions
 These lightweight panels are our most impact resistant and chemically resistant
panels available. Primary use for these laminated panels is all areas of marine
construction, trailer and camper sidewalls, moisture and chemical resistant areas.

In the construction industry, thermoplastics are commonly mixed with wood

particles to create composite construction materials.

Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are typically used in place of pressure-treated

wood. Recent research found that coal could potentially be used instead of wood
particles to create a stronger, more durable and more water-resistant construction
material.

Thermoplastic composite panels deliver affordable housing solutions…

7. Super Black

Super black is a surface treatment developed at the National Physical

Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom. It absorbs approximately 99.6% of
visible light at normal incidence, while conventional black paint absorbs about
97.5%. At other angles of incidence, super black is even more effective: at an
angle of 45°, it absorbs 99.9% of light.

The technology to create super black involves chemically etching a nickel-

phosphorus alloy.

Applications of super black are in specialist optical instruments for reducing

unwanted reflections.