Glenn Walter Soileau Looks At Top Construction Innovations
SARASOTA, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, June 5, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- It is nothing short of essential that companies in the construction industry rethink their methods of working. We are running out of fossil fuels and continuing to do construction the way it is done today is completely unsustainable. Glenn Walter Soileau is happy to see that the construction industry seems to be getting on board, and likewise, so is the government. The latter is providing increasingly interesting incentives for going green and this has led to some really good innovations in the construction industry in terms of how they work and the materials that they use. Here, Glenn Walter Soileau takes a look at some of the best innovations in construction.
Simply put, there is an immediate requirement for new design approaches, using new energy sources and new materials. Thanks to significant advances in big data and digital technology, the construction industry seems to be riding a tidal wave of innovation.
Living Buildings
Most people have already heard of green roofs. Essentially, these provide an excellent alternative to solar panels. While they do not generate electricity in the way that solar panels do, they do have other environmental benefits. First of all, a green roof is a superior insulator. As such, it stops heat from escaping through the fabric of the building during the winter, while doing the reverse during summer.
Secondly, a green roof provides a natural habitat for various plants, and also wildlife. Due to urbanization, animal habitats have diminished significantly and providing bugs, insects, and birds with new habitats is a fantastic effort towards living in harmony with all the flora and fauna on the planet.
Furthermore, being made of plants, green roofs help reduce pollution through photosynthesis. They absorb rainwater, carbon dioxide, heat, and more. Green roofs, Glenn Walter Soileau has been happy to see, are becoming increasingly commonplace around the world. In some Scandinavian countries, for instance, they are now seen as standard. But what is truly innovative is the use of green walls. This means that the roof construction continues along the side of the building as well. This further enhances the effects of the green roof. Glenn Walter Soileau is particularly excited about the fact that this construction material is also incredibly beautiful, meaning that the term "urban jungle" can finally start to be used as something positive.
Floor Boards that Harvest Energy
Glenn Walter Soileau has also been watching the work of Associate Professor Xudong Want, who has developed a prototype energy harvesting floorboard. Essentially, nanofibers and wood pulp are used to create floorboards fitted with nanotechnology that is capable of converting the sound and vibrations of footsteps into energy that can be used.
The project is being worked on in collaboration with Stephanie Precourt from the University of Washington's Madison College of Engineering. They have together developed wooden floorboards fitted with electromagnetic induction technology capable of generating electricity through sound vibrations. What Glenn Walter Soileau is even more impressed with is that the floorboards themselves are made from sustainable material, which is the wood pulp. He hopes that they will soon be added as standard to newly constructed homes, where people's own movements could effectively power their own house. It may even make them more active if they want to generate as much electricity as possible.
Glenn Walter Soileau believes that the "pathway" for a variety of other applications has been laid down thanks to this new construction material. For instance, a social event with dancing could simultaneously be an opportunity to generate more electricity. This is not too futuristic, because the technology is already used in certain places, such as a football stadium and a public walkway, using the generated electricity to power the surrounding area. Bringing this into the homes is the next logical step.
Simply put, there is an immediate requirement for new design approaches, using new energy sources and new materials. Thanks to significant advances in big data and digital technology, the construction industry seems to be riding a tidal wave of innovation.
Living Buildings
Most people have already heard of green roofs. Essentially, these provide an excellent alternative to solar panels. While they do not generate electricity in the way that solar panels do, they do have other environmental benefits. First of all, a green roof is a superior insulator. As such, it stops heat from escaping through the fabric of the building during the winter, while doing the reverse during summer.
Secondly, a green roof provides a natural habitat for various plants, and also wildlife. Due to urbanization, animal habitats have diminished significantly and providing bugs, insects, and birds with new habitats is a fantastic effort towards living in harmony with all the flora and fauna on the planet.
Furthermore, being made of plants, green roofs help reduce pollution through photosynthesis. They absorb rainwater, carbon dioxide, heat, and more. Green roofs, Glenn Walter Soileau has been happy to see, are becoming increasingly commonplace around the world. In some Scandinavian countries, for instance, they are now seen as standard. But what is truly innovative is the use of green walls. This means that the roof construction continues along the side of the building as well. This further enhances the effects of the green roof. Glenn Walter Soileau is particularly excited about the fact that this construction material is also incredibly beautiful, meaning that the term "urban jungle" can finally start to be used as something positive.
Floor Boards that Harvest Energy
Glenn Walter Soileau has also been watching the work of Associate Professor Xudong Want, who has developed a prototype energy harvesting floorboard. Essentially, nanofibers and wood pulp are used to create floorboards fitted with nanotechnology that is capable of converting the sound and vibrations of footsteps into energy that can be used.
The project is being worked on in collaboration with Stephanie Precourt from the University of Washington's Madison College of Engineering. They have together developed wooden floorboards fitted with electromagnetic induction technology capable of generating electricity through sound vibrations. What Glenn Walter Soileau is even more impressed with is that the floorboards themselves are made from sustainable material, which is the wood pulp. He hopes that they will soon be added as standard to newly constructed homes, where people's own movements could effectively power their own house. It may even make them more active if they want to generate as much electricity as possible.
Glenn Walter Soileau believes that the "pathway" for a variety of other applications has been laid down thanks to this new construction material. For instance, a social event with dancing could simultaneously be an opportunity to generate more electricity. This is not too futuristic, because the technology is already used in certain places, such as a football stadium and a public walkway, using the generated electricity to power the surrounding area. Bringing this into the homes is the next logical step.
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