3D Printing

• 3D printing has been more and more attractive in the construction industry due to its efficiency and fast yields. 
• 3D printing has already been used for the printing of parts and models but also for modular panels and even entire buildings. 
• It has been reported that 3D printing a small house takes only several days.
• For architects, 3D printing makes the creation and designing process much faster and efficient. 
• It is also extremely cost-effective, with experts reporting that using a 3D printing saves up to 75% of the cost associated with designing a new building.

Self-Healing Concrete

• There has been a big emergence of cost-effective new forms of concrete in recent years, with one of the most prominent examples being self-healing concrete.
• The self-healing concrete mix "uses bacteria as a healing agent to close concrete cracks". The bacteria itself is enclosed in a sodium silicate, which ruptures when a crack in the concrete appears, releasing a "gel-like healing agent that hardens to fill the void."
• The durability of the concrete is greatly improved by using that method, which gives a big advantage for any new construction project as the maintenance cost decreases as well.
• Moreover, the mix is very cost-effective compared to regular concrete and other energy-efficient concrete options on the market.
• Since architects have been worried about the quality of the materials that construction companies used to complete their projects, introducing such a cost-effective and durable product will boost the quality of the construction and help better implement the architects' vision.
• However, they are also concerned that while new, durable and cost-effective options are being produced there are still few options that use sustainable materials to produce the cement, which accounts for over 8% of the global CO2 emissions.

Energy Efficient Bricks

• Since architects are extremely concerned about the carbon footprint of their projects. In fact, over 40% of the greenhouse emissions in the UK alone are caused by the construction industry.
• As such, they have been trying to find ways to create construction materials that are sustainable and eco-friendly. 
• The construction company Thames Water has recently "found an inventive way to use sewage to create the material needed for heavy-duty bricks."
• The company mixes the ash of the burnt dried waste with "carbon dioxide, water, sand and a small quantity of cement to form an aggregate for individual breeze blocks — each weighing 17kg."
• Thames Water is expected to be able to produce 18,000 tonnes of aggregate every year, which can be used to make about 2.3 million construction bricks.