03/02/2025
Sugarcrete is a new housing material that offers an alternative to traditional building materials like clay and concrete bricks.
It's made by combining sugarcane waste or bagasse with mineral-based binders.
This resulted in blocks that are not only lighter and cheaper than their conventional counterparts but also possess superior fire resistance, compressive strength, thermal conductivity, and durability.
The new material offers rapid curing time, reduced weight, and lower production costs, making it an attractive option, especially in sugarcane-producing regions, where it can transform agricultural waste into a valuable construction resource. Sugarcrete is eco-friendly and has a smaller carbon footprint, estimated to be just 15% to 20% of that of concrete. Sugarcrete could cut down global CO2 emissions by an estimated 1.08 billion tonnes.
The material's potential was demonstrated in prototype modular floor slabs, which require up to 90% less steel than concrete alternatives and show less propensity to crack under pressure.
Self-healing concrete, on the other hand, could revolutionize the durability and longevity of infrastructure.
Infused with the ability to automatically repair cracks that form over time, this innovative material incorporates specialized agents—such as bacteria that produce limestone or microcapsules filled with healing agents—that are activated upon cracking. These agents then precipitate to fill in the cracks, effectively sealing them and preventing further damage from water and other deteriorating factors.