Innovation

Sea Stone is a concrete-like material made from shells Newtab-22 has used waste seashells salvaged from the seafood and aquaculture industries to develop a sustainable material that resembles concrete. Named Sea Stone, the material is made by grinding down shells that are destined for landfill before combining them with natural, non-toxic binders. This grants the Sea Stone a terrazzo-like aesthetic. According to Newtab-22, Sea Stone could become a sustainable alternative to concrete in the design of small-scale products, as the two materials share similar properties. This is because seashells are rich in calcium carbonate, otherwise known as limestone, which is...

University unveils machine for hurricane-testing roof systems Damage caused by Hurricane Ian in Delray Beach, Florida, September 2022 (David Dellinger/National Weather Service of Miami/Public domain) Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo has unveiled a machine that tests how well a roof system will withstand hurricanes. The university says it’s the only equipment of its kind in an academic setting in North America. Measuring 12 feet by 24 feet, the “wind uplift table” recreates the forces generated by supercharged storms like September’s Hurricane Ian, which caused an estimated $67bn in damage. “It’s those forces that are a result of the wind flow...

Seratech carbon-neutral concrete wins Obel Award 2022 British company Seratech has won the architecture-focused Obel Award with its prototype carbon-neutral concrete, which it says is low-cost and easy to scale. Founded by PhD students Sam Draper and Barney Shanks to commercialise their research at the Imperial College London, Seratech replaces part of the cement content of concrete with a type of silica created using carbon dioxide captured directly from factory flues. Only a maximum of 40 per cent of the cement content of concrete can be replaced in this way. However, according to Seratech, the carbon capture and storage (CCS) involved...

PASCHAL creates the basis for a Commercial building construction for Arpitha Constructions (PresseBox) (Steinach) In Hyderabad (India) the 8 storied & 25-metre-high commercial Tower is currently being built. PASCHAL Form Work (India) Pvt. Ltd. is supplying the formwork for all the cast-in-situ parts for this project and thus enabling the construction work to proceed quickly and easily. The building consists of one tower with two   basement levels and 6 upper floors providing a floor space of around 2400 square metres. Being Arpitha’s own construction and maintenance, They are looking for cost effective and versatile formwork solution to cater the whole...

Fast formwork for a large hotel complex (PresseBox) (Steinach) PASCHAL has proven that even large construction sites can be easily completed on time and within budget by using optimised logistical procedures and advanced formwork planning. A new, Mediterranean style hotel complex is currently being built in Ringsheim near the Europapark. The L-shaped, five-storey, 16-metre-high hotel building will have 110 rooms and an underground car park. The hotel building will be surrounded by a total of 40 bungalow-type, one and two-storey residential units. Despite its imposing size, the building will blend harmoniously into its surroundings and, due to being located right...