Portland cement is a central material in construction and infrastructure with the U.S. alone producing over 80 tons of it yearly. Recent developments in earthen architectural biomaterial systems offer alternatives that reduce emissions and decrease lifecycle energy. However, despite their ecologically benign nature, many earthen biocomposites underperform in strength and durability.
Expanding on four years of research at DumoLab, Terrene 4.0 consists of combinatorial material development and analysis, alongside the design and implementation of an exterior load-bearing structure. We further develop and analyze ChitoSand, a sand-based composite stabilized with a shellfish-derived polysaccharide binder and reinforced with flax. The first iterations of Terrene 1.0-3.0 demonstrated relatively low compressive strength and lost structural integrity after approximately 20 minutes of water exposure. Terrene 4.0 therefore leverages natural cross-linking agents and systematically evaluates their impact through droplet penetration, water absorption, contact angle, compressive strength, and accelerated weathering tests. These modifications extend water penetration resistance eightfold and yield higher strength. Using Polyhedral Graphic Statics, we design a compressive dominant structure with potential to bear live and environmental loads.
Terrene can now be implemented outdoors into large span thin earthen shells with robust weathering capacity and still maintaining bio-integrated decay at end-of-life.
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