RE590 TO ALL MY LEED STUDENTS AND FB FRIENDS: ENJOY THIS: CREEPY OR NOT, IT’S ECO FRIENDLY AND COST EFFECTIVE…
LEED IS APART OF HALLOWEEN:
If the idea of wasting natural resources gets your blood boiling then London architect Jack Munro has developed a low-cost brick made with discarded animal blood. Munro’s experimental process combines the blood of slaughtered cattle with sand and antifungal, antibacterial preservatives. The mixture is poured into a mold and baked at moderate temperatures until it hardens. The bricks makes use of a plentiful material that’s otherwise going to waste.
“Animal blood is one of the most prolific waste materials in the world,” says Munro. “The blood drained from animal carcasses is generally thrown away or incinerated despite being a potentially useful product.” He estimates that a single head of cattle produces about 8 gallons of blood, enough for dozens of bricks.
Munro sees blood bricks being used in remote arid regions, such as northern Africa, where wood and other natural building materials are scarce and cheap solar ovens could be built to bake the bricks.
While it’s a bloody good idea, it’s still in experimental phases. Compression tests show that the bricks, although incredibly tough, still lack the reliable strength needed to build usable structures.
And if the idea of living in a house made with blood bricks makes you squeamish, remember that animal byproducts have been used as building materials, such as glue and plaster, for centuries. (Houselogic 10/23/12)RE590: R
danetteoneal1
Danette O'Neal, PhD 