The Pending Building Crisis - Composites in Construction

Date: 14.05.18
The Pending Building Crisis

“The building industry is in crisis,” heard recently from an MIT Architecture grad student. What did she mean? “We can’t build buildings fast enough to keep up with our growing global population.”

Projections from the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) estimate that by 2030, the world population will reach over 8.5 billion people, an increase of more than 13.25% in just 12.5 years. Adding one billion people to a population already struggling with current underdeveloped areas and homeless populations is not going to make things better. Mildly, this can best be described as ominous.

Construction speed becomes a central concern when dealing with these populations, and we are unable to produce habitual shelters fast enough to match the growth outlined above. Most common materials and construction methods are outdated, resulting in stunted progress, and current materials lack the flexibility needed to meet modern building criteria. Composites hold a key.

“Composites require a different form of logic then traditional steel and wood,” explains Professor Mark Goulthrope, MIT Department of Architecture. In his practice, through the use of innovative materials, processing techniques, and computer aided design, Mark creates buildings that are not only resilient, economical, and visually stunning, but environmentally benign as well. Building construction today uses all the same materials we’ve used for generations; lumber, steel, concrete, etc. These materials limit design and take far too long to construct on site. Buildings today need to be less permanent, more flexible, and more environmental friendly.

The use of composites, particularly thermoplastics, offers a lightweight, non-corrosive, recyclable, and resilient alternative to traditional building practices. Compared with traditional metal materials, plastics, and even thermoset composites, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites:

  • Have dramatically superior strength-to-weight capabilities
  • Offer lighter, stiffer, and tougher parts
  • Provide greater chemical resistance and heat tolerance
  • Environmental resistances are ideal for outdoor and wet environments

Here come composites. ADC is ready!

For more info about our work in construction, contact our sales manager:

Reid Hislop
Sales Manager

518.377.6471 ext.275| Email Reid