Plax

Abstract

The world is currently experiencing a major global warming problem, and the construction industry stands out as one of the major contributors to a high percentage of carbon emissions. This is primarily due to the usage and production of materials. When buildings are examined in detail, it becomes evident that floor systems constitute a significant portion of the construction within buildings. Essential structural components, such as concrete and steel, along with small-scale building materials used across diverse applications, are major contributors to high carbon emissions. These materials are primarily non-bio-based, emit unhealthy gases during production, and have limited sources.

In response to this problem, there is an urgent need to shift towards using alternative materials in the construction industry and explore materials and methods that are renewable, local, bio-based, biodegradable, and do not produce harmful substances during their production. Therefore, this research aims to map out the possibilities of bio-based materials that have the potential to be structural components but have not been extensively detailed in the literature. In the context of this thesis, flax fibers and bio-based polymers that can potentially replace petroleum-based products are chosen. Adopting a research-by-experiment approach, various bio-based materials for the core material will be tested to identify the most suitable core material for the sandwich floor system. Besides, for the face sheet, flax fibers with a PLA matrix have been chosen. In turn, the sandwich is produced by a PLA core and Flax/PLA composite.

The results highlight that the proposed materials are capable of resisting necessary loads for residential building construction. Additionally, the floor panel possesses high environmental positive properties and low carbon emissions during its production stages. It is expected that this material proposes a new system that can become mainstream in the construction industry as a sustainable option by replacing conventional methods. However, the material also has a higher cost compared to a residential concrete hollow core system. Additionally, the life cycle analysis of the product should be conducted to better understand the LCA of the material. In general, by contributing valuable knowledge in the realm of sustainable construction materials, this research aligns with global goals for eco-friendly practices and underscores the potential for carbon-neutral materials to bring transformative advancements in structural applications within the construction industry.