In a previous article, we looked at non-food crops
currently being grown in the UK for the production of goods destined for the
cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. We discussed market values and trends,
and had a closer look at oilseed crops and herbs, which are two non-food crops
of particular interest to these huge industries. In this second article, we
will cover non-food crops – and their current impact on the UK economy – for
the production of construction materials.
The History of natural building materials is as old as
the history of man-made “buildings” itself. From the earliest shelters made
from branches to stone houses which still stand strong centuries after being
erected, plant-derived, waste and mineral materials have been used all over the
world for construction for millennia. The first shelters were often made of
forageable and easily moulded materials such as leaves, branches, mud and clay,
and were built for the primary purpose of offering humans protection against
harsh weather and animals. As humanity evolved and toolmaking improved, wood
became a crucial part of the ancient world’s construction industry. Ancient
Greek and ancient Chinese civilisations built wooden temples to their Gods, one
of them, Nanchen Temple, was built in 782 AD and is still standing today.
One of the most significant advances in building
materials has been concrete. Made from mineral products, concrete quite simply
refers to a composite material formed as a result of aggregates (e.g. sand,
ash, crushed stones…) being mixed with a fluid “cement” which hardens over
time. The earliest forms of concrete date back as far as Mayan times and are
also a common occurrence in ancient roman sites. The quality of concrete has
not stopped improving ever since, and underwent a big boost during the
Industrial Revolution. The middle of the 19th century saw the development
of reinforced concrete (i.e. a mixture of concrete and steel) which went on the
become an instrumental element for the development of high-scale
infrastructures such as bridges and motorways. Nowadays, concrete is the most
widely used material for construction, surpassing all the other materials (such
as wood, steel and plastic) by far. More recently, plastic has also become a
very widely used construction material, providing lightweight, flexible and
cheap components. However, both concrete and plastic have very high carbon
footprints and often lead to a number of health and safety concerns throughout
their lifecycles.
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