Revolution under construction: Researchers use airport urine for organic concrete!

Revolution under construction: Researchers use airport urine for organic concrete!

Scientists from the University of Stuttgart develop an innovative and sustainable approach to concrete production based on the use of urine. This groundbreaking research project, called "Simbioze", aims to significantly reduce the CO₂ emissions that arise from conventional concrete production. Prof. Lucio Blandini, the project manager, explains that conventional cement needs high temperatures, which in turn leads to high CO₂ emissions. In contrast, the new technology enables the use of unused resources through a procedure that uses biomineralization.

A mixture of bacterial powder and calcium-enriched urine is used for the production of the so-called organic concrete. In this process, microorganisms decompose the urea in the urine and released calcium carbonate, which acts as a natural binder and solidifies the material. Initial tests with synthetic urea were able to achieve a pressure resistance of over 50 megapascal, while a real urine is aimed at 30 to 40 megapascal, which would make the concrete suitable for multi -storey buildings.

next steps and support

A pilot project is already planned at Stuttgart Airport, where urine is to be collected by heavily frequented toilets. The state government of Baden-Württemberg supports the project for another three years. In addition, a test system next to the airport is being built to check the practical suitability of the new building material. The process consumes less energy and causes lower emissions than traditional cement production methods.

The development of bio -pie from urine could not only revolutionize the construction industry, but also lead to a paradigm shift in the area of ​​sustainable building. According to the German Construction newspaper, the technology has the potential to fundamentally change the construction industry by protecting resources and at the same time offers more environmentally friendly alternatives. The construction industry, which causes around 38 % of global CO₂ emissions, are under pressure to find alternative materials and processes that are more environmentally friendly and efficient.

future of sustainable building materials

Regenerative building materials, such as organic concrete, represent one of many approaches to reduce the ecological footprint in the construction industry. The developments include organic materials, self -healing concrete and innovative manufacturing processes that use CO₂ as a resource. Experts predict that regenerative building materials could become marketable within the next five to ten years, whereby sustainable building materials may be the standard in new buildings by 2030.

The integration of innovative building materials is already being tested in pilot projects, such as with ecological houses and bridges. Despite the challenges of production costs and compliance with legal regulations, leading companies and universities show great interest in research on sustainable materials. Companies such as Heidelberg Materials and Saint-Gobain work on CO₂-reducing alternatives, while start-ups such as Biomason develop bio-based bricks without energy-intensive burning processes.

Overall, the “Simbioze” project from Stuttgart harbors the potential to fundamentally change the construction and to design a more sustainable future for industry. For more information, the reporting of Oe24 , chip and techzeitgeist .