What is it with bricks and mortar? Construction must be the only industry still using methods and materials developed during Medieval times.
Sticking to what’s tried and tested isn’t wrong, of course, but exciting new ways of creating homes, office blocks, schools and hospitals are now coming on stream.
On s1jobs you can find vacancies with some of the country’s best building companies but before you pick up your tools, here’s a glimpse of what could be waiting for you on a building site in the near future.
3-D printing
Believe it or not, there is a 3-D printer capable of building a house. It created its first one-room hut in 2010 and from that basic start, plans have evolved for creating housing estates from concrete printed on-site.
Researchers are also working on designs for small robots that can be used to assemble structures on projects that may be too risky for humans, such as the highest points of skyscrapers.
Self-healing concrete
You didn’t know concrete had feelings? Long after the scaffolding has been taken down, concrete can start to crack, undermining the structure.
Now scientists have found a way of making concrete heal itself from within by mixing it with bacteria. When cracks begin to form in the concrete, water enters and opens the bacteria capsules.
These germinate, multiply and feed on lactate to form limestone, which closes up the cracks. So the concrete gets stronger, not weaker.
Pop-up pagodas
Domes don’t feature much in buildings these days for the simple reason there’s no simple way of making them from concrete. Or at least there wasn’t until technologists in Vienna hit upon the idea of pouring reinforced concrete over an inflated air cushion. Once the concrete hardens, the cushion is deflated and, hey-presto, a dome has been formed.
Kinetic floors
Every time someone puts their foot down, some of their energy is lost into the ground. But not anymore. Kinetic floors can capture that energy and turn it into electricity. Who knew that the busy corridors in schools or hospitals could help to keep the lights on? And Uncle Shug’s disco moves could power an entire city!
Solar slates
Forget about solar panels, they’re so last century. Say hello to tiles that do the same job while keeping the rain out.
There’s even talk of spraying solar surfaces onto motorways to capture the rays and use them to power overhead lighting and extra speed cameras (okay, so maybe this isn’t such a bright idea!).
For cutting-edge Construction vacancies visit s1jobs