Air Pollution from High-rise Construction in Rotterdam: Comparison of black carbon (BC), ultrafine (UFP)and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) ambient concentrations from conventional and biobased (Cross-Laminated Timber CLT) construction methods

This research addresses the challenge of climate change and air quality, focusing on the construction industry's impact in the Netherlands. The construction sector, a significant source of air pollution, necessitates sustainable practices for mitigating the effects of climate change and reducing pollutants. The study emphasises the need for...

Wood-based 3D printing: Potential & limitation to 3D print a window frame with pure cellulose & lignin

With a building industry that is responsible for a large amount of our carbon emissions, a rising population, and the over-extraction of resources, architects and engineers have the responsibility to use environmentally friendly products. Lignin and cellulose are the most abundant biopolymers on earth and produce a lot of waste by ending up...

Natural Fiber Reinforced Composites and Façade Applications: A research on the mechanical performance of plant fiber reinforced bio-resins and its possible façade applications

As a result of the growing awareness of the global environmental factors, principals of sustainability, and industrial ecology, the green chemistry and engineering are put to use into the development of the next generation of materials of construction. The need of materials independent from petroleum resources is considered a priority on the...

Experimental Data-Driven Design of Sustainable Bulk Moulding Compounds

Bio-based composites have been a viable material choice in aerospace, automobile and construction industries over the past few decades. From day-to-day products like spoons and chairs to the construction of rocket parts, bio-based composites find their applications due to their mechanically enhanced, cost-effective and lightweight structures,...

Chains of Cooperation: Synergies between waste & Co2

The province of South Holland is a region in the Netherlands that can be characterized by its flourishing economy. The place where the vein of the river Maas stretches out over land and the Port of Rotterdam has settled in as a strategic trade-point. Moreover, the abundant agricultural sector in Westland holds accountable for not only multiple...

A data-driven heuristic decision strategy for data-scarce optimization: with an application towards bio-based composites

Algorithmic optimization is a viable tool for solving complex materials engineering issues. In this study, a data-scarce Bayesian optimization model was developed to research the composition of bio-based composites. The proof-of-concept program adjusts the natural materials' weight ratios to optimize towards user-defined mechanical properties....

WeGrowCo: an open-building strategy

WeGrowCo, reintroduced the open-building ideology of John Habraken and Frans van der Werf within the organic design proces of a new neighborhood at Strandeiland, Ijburg. WeGrowCo proves that open-building has a large potential to grow, make and build adaptable and self-sufficient neighborhoods together with inhabitants. Before buildings are...

3D Printing with Bio-Based Materials: Designing a toolkit to guide makers into sustainable material development

Materiom is an online initiative that has been growing an online open source database of bio-based material recipes over the last couple of years. A new category of recipes to be found on this website is the category of bio-based 3D printable materials. The first 3D printable material recipe to emerge in the database was developed at the TU...

Bio-based Railway Canopy: Application of bio-based building materials in canopies of railway stations

Background Consumption of materials is an always ongoing process. In the linear economy, or a ‘take-make-dispose’ consumption pattern there is no attention for the rest value of products. The circular economy and bio-based economy introduce that loop-back for materials at the end of their lifetime. This research is about the application of bio...