Sustainability in the construction industry is a challenge, since this is one of the sectors of the economy considered to be the most
polluting and energy-intensive . Fortunately, initiatives to
contain environmental degradation are being taken, and this time, the creation came from a Brazilian engineer who developed a
sustainable brick .
Named
K-Briq , the sustainable brick has
90% of its raw material in construction waste . Another bonus is that the piece
is not burned , which avoids the emission of polluting gases.
The creation was made by engineering professor
Gabriela Medero at
Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, who spent
more than 10 years studying ways to create a material that would be as environmentally friendly as possible. “I spent many years researching building materials and became concerned that modern construction techniques exploit raw materials without considering that they are among the
biggest contributors to carbon emissions ,” the engineer told Dezeen.
She also warned about the amount of
waste that is discarded in construction , and that was what gave her the idea that there could be an opportunity to create an
eco-friendly solution.
