Clay panel construction

Project

268118

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NEW EUROPEAN BAUHAUS RISING STARS : concepts or ideas submitted by young talents (aged 30 or less)

Project title

Clay panel construction

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Description

Through the development of a load-bearing prefabricated clay construction, the historic building material clay can be made sustainable. By adding organic aggregates, both the load-bearing and the heat-insulating properties of the prefabricated components can be optimized. In addition, the time-consuming production and long drying time is automated and transferred to a factory. The positive properties of clay, such as its regional availability or its good ecological footprint, are retained.

Where is your concept/idea being developed or intended to be implemented in the EU?

Please provide a summary of your concept/ idea

Due to the current climate crisis and the global shortage of resources, humans are called to action in many ways. Because of its large consumption of resources, the construction sector is a key target for sustainable change. Through the development of a load-bearing prefabricated clay construction method, a sustainable construction method can be developed, which is healthy for both environment and people. The prefabricated clay elements should have optimum load-bearing capacity and heat transfer behavior due to the addition of organic aggregates. Earthen constructions can meet the requirements of sustainable building. Nevertheless, there is a specific need for research in the areas of architectural language, production process and material optimization. The project aims for the production of a monolithic, multi-layer prefabricated clay element with optimal load-bearing capacity and heat transfer behavior. Due to the admixture of natural fibers, thinner wall cross-sections can be achieved compared to conventional rammed earth walls. At the same time, shrinkage deformation and cracking can be minimized. Prefabrication allows the complex manufacturing process to be transferred to a factory, resulting in a significant reduction in costs. All the positive properties of solid clay construction, such as a healthy indoor climate, hygroscopic properties, pollutant binding, thermal storage capacity, aesthetics and sustainable use of energy and resources, are retained. The goal is to promote load-bearing earthen construction and make it more accessible through the use of the prefabricated earthen building panels. The prefabricated clay panels can be easily installed at the construction site. The connection concept is based on existing and production proven technologies for conventional prefabricated constructions, so that no specialist training is required to install the clay panels.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of sustainability and how these would be met

The aim of the project is to develop a load-bearing prefabricated clay construction method that additionally meets current thermal insulation requirements. Due to selected fibers and aggregates, the load-bearing behavior is already achieved with lower wall thicknesses. The prefabricated component is internally divided into several layers with different functions. Thus, there will be one layer for load transfer and a separate, non-load-bearing layer, which is exclusively responsible for an optimized thermal resistance of the monolithic component. When selecting the aggregates, it has to be ensured that they can be easily removed from the component at the end of its life cycle. By avoiding the use of composite materials, clean recycling becomes possible. In addition, the aggregates should be natural and sustainable, which particularly makes organic materials suitable. Possible aggregates are straw, hemp, flax or cork. Due to the prefabrication process of the clay panel construction, both the building time and construction costs can be minimized. At the same time, the positive properties of earthen constructions, such as the regional availability of materials, the optimal ecological footprint, hygroscopicity and the binding of pollutants, are retained. The life cycle assessment of load-bearing clay panel construction can be significantly improved compared to conventional wall constructions. Due to the improved thermal resistance, there is no need for an additional insulation layer, which saves time, costs and resources. At the same time there is a positive effect on the health of people, increasingly spending time indoors. Through the development of clay panel construction, healthy cities can be planned and built, while at the same time achieving the climate goals of the federal government.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience beyond functionality and how these would be met

One of the main goals is to make earthen constructions fit for the future. To achieve this, the rather negative image of a long outdated "eco-architecture" must be cleared up. The intended architectural language should therefore transfer earthen building into a modern world. To achieve this, the external appearance must fit well into the cityscape. So generally  the building substance itself should not be visible neither from the inside nor from the outside. Comparable to what is already practiced with precast concrete elements, different surface qualities could be offered. At the same time, production costs and time can be reduced in order to produce a non-exposed clay wall. Of course if required for specific applications, the extraordinary rammed earth structure could also be made visible and for instance become an aesthetic design element. Earthen constructions prefabricated in this way will have a good chance becoming attractive and affordable for private builders as well.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept/idea in terms of inclusion and how these would be been met

The project is intended to bring the topic of "healthy living" into focus. In this context, the word "healthy" refers equally to people and nature. People are increasingly spending time indoors thus being more exposed to contaminants accumulating inside the buildings. This can potentially cause allergies and/or diseases. In addition, conventional building materials are often extracted without paying attention to the aspects of environmental damage. Also transportation over long distances and energy-intensive production processes are problematic in terms of sustainability. The historical building material clay has the potential to create "healthy cities”. Clay regulates indoor humidity, which prevents mold infestation, repels pests, binds pollutants and can be extracted in an environmentally friendly manner. However, for many years clay has only been used as an expensive design building material in prestigious representative buildings. In order to fully exploit the potential described, clay as a building material must be made accessible and affordable to the masses and must not continue to be a building material of the privileged. This can only be achieved by a more cost-efficient production concept. Additionally a lot of persuading and educational work needs to be done. The image of clay as an outdated building material or a building material of the poor is simply wrong. A paradigm change will be required to successfully promote earthen constructions. In order to ensure the highest possible quality of life for future generations, healthy living must become affordable to everyone. The clay panel construction is a first step towards making clay competitive and thus accessible to all.

Please explain the innovative character of your concept/ idea

It is already possible to build prefabricated wall panels from rammed earth in a non-load-bearing construction. A current example is the Alnatura principal office at the Alnatura Campus in Darmstadt, which was completed in 2017. The prefabricated clay components used there are self-supporting but not load-bearing and do have a thickness of 70 cm. However, the production of prefabricated clay elements is too cost-intensive to use them only as decorative facade elements. Therefore, the clay panels, which will be developed within the project, must be load-bearing. Clay can certainly meet these requirements. With the appropriate additives, a load-bearing effect is possible with conventional wall thicknesses. This will make earthen constructions competitive. Another obstacle to be overcome by research is the costly manufacturing process. A manufacturing process suitable for mass production needs to be developed. It should be possible to produce the clay panels in large quantities in a permanent factory. Until now, there has been no such factory, so the clay panels for the Alnatura principal office had to be created directly on site in a temporary production hall. Such a solution is neither cost-effective nor can it be implemented in urban areas. The development of the clay panel building method is intended to make clay once again a competitive building material, which can meet the requirements of a building material suitable for the future. It should be inexpensive, easy to install, health and environmentally friendly.

Please detail the plans you have for the further development, promotion and/or implementation of your concept/idea, with a particular attention to the initiatives to be taken before May 2022

Since January 2021, the research project "clay panel construction - prefabricated load-bearing solid clay walls“ is funded over a period of 24 months, within the framework of the innovation program "Zukunft Bau" of the federal government and various institutions. The total budget amounts to around 225,000 euros. During the project period, a load-bearing prefabricated clay construction method will be developed, using numerical models and laboratory trials. The knowledge gained within the research period will be announced media-effective. This includes the presentation of results at professional conferences (e.g. 17th project days of building research in June 2021) and in journals. For example, an article about “clay panel construction” will appear in the Bauhaus-Journal in July 2021. Further publications are planned. The research topic will also be anchored in practical and theoretical teaching at the Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar. In the coming winter semester (2021/22), a workshop is to be developed in collaboration with students from various disciplines, through which the topic is to be brought into focus beyond the university environment. The workshop will probably take place in spring 2022 and will be open to the public. Through close cooperation with the GOLEHM alliance, there is a continuous exchange with earthen building specialists, companies and interested parties.

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that the proposed concept/idea has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Rising Stars Awards more than once in the same category.