3 Biomimetic Designs in Architecture and Infrastructure

June 15, 2016 | Comments

Nature is truly the best engineer of all. Here are three examples of scientists and engineers who are working to mimic some of the most incredible natural phenomena.

 

A Concrete Foundation in Naturally Strong Materials

A team of researchers at MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering recently proposed a new “bottom-up” approach for designing cement paste.

The mixture essentially is meant to mimic naturally strong materials, namely bones, shells and deep-sea sponges.

“These materials are assembled in a fascinating fashion, with simple constituents arranging in complex geometric configurations that are beautiful to observe,” said Oral Buyukozturk, a professor in the department. “We want to see what kinds of micromechanisms exist within them that provide such superior properties and how we can adopt a similar building-block-based approach for concrete.”

MIT-BioInspired-1_0_jot5lt

Researchers looked at biomaterials such as the deep sea sponge’s onion-like structure of silica layers, which leads to a mechanism for preventing cracks. (Image courtesy of MIT.)

More information can be found in the team’s publication in the journal Construction and Building Materials.

 

Water Filter Based on Selective Ability of Cell Membranes

Cells are the most incredible building blocks of nature. Learning about their microscopic structures has advanced both biomedical science and engineering technology alike.

The set of abilities of this self-sustaining structure is what makes it one of the most remarkable natural phenomena. Among its most impressive components is its membrane, which selectively filters out unwanted particles and absorbs desired nutrients.

In 2003, Peter Agre won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering aquaporins. This protein is integral to the filtering ability of the cell membrane, as it is able to prevent the passage of a wide variety of contaminants including bacteria, viruses, minerals, proteins, DNA, dissolved gases, salts and detergents.

The protein can even trap contaminants at the atomic level, all while facilitating the passage of water into the cell. Sounds like something we could really tap into.

As it turns out, water purification researchers have been trying to mimic the filtering ability of aquaporins for years. It is believed that biomimetic membranes are a relatively low-energy filtration technique compared to other methods such as desalinization.

Aquaporin Inside is a patented filtration technology from the company Aquaporin. The product is essentially a thin film coating that can be applied to both flat sheet membranes and hollow fiber molecules.

aquaporin diagram

Diagram of aquaporin molecule purifying water within a filter membrane. (Image courtesy of Aquaporin.)

Unlike conventional filters, this one hosts aquaporin proteins in an environment that retains the molecules’ natural activity of facilitating the passage of only water molecules.

“After seeing how the proteins worked in a computer model, we sought to apply this functionality in an industrial setting,” said Peter Holme Jensen, CEO of Aquaporin. “This truly shows how science can lead to commercial ideas.”

 

Eastgate Centre Building Inspired by Termite Mounds

Termite mounds are a true marvel of nature, in some areas, they can reach above 25 ft in height and be 40 ft in diameter. What is even more amazing is their ability to regulate the internal temperature of these structures.

Termites in Zimbabwe feed on a specific type of fungi that they farm deep in the interior of the mound. The fungus has to be kept at exactly 87 °F, while the temperatures outside range from 35 °F at night to 104 °F throughout the day. Termites achieve the remarkable feat of temperature regulation with just saliva, dirt, clever insect-architectural design and a brilliant ventilation technique.

termite mound and eastgate harare building

The ventilation of the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe operates similarly to that of a termite mound.

Termite mounds have numerous openings and ventilation shafts that draw in air and release it. The insects inside constantly work to open and close varying shafts throughout the mound to ensure a regular temperature inside.

The termites help to maintain a natural convection system where air is drawn in near the base of the mound and down into the center. The air then travels up through a channel to the peak.

The Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, designed by Mick Pearce, has a passive cooling system that works in a similar way. While other buildings in the city depend on energy-intensive air conditioners, the Eastgate Centre uses fans to draw in air from pores in the sides of the building. The concrete in the structure helps to regulate the temperature of this air by absorbing or giving off heat.

This air is then vented throughout the building’s floors and offices before exiting through chimneys at the top. There is also a strip of space in the middle of the structure, separating the building into sections and exposing the interior to local breezes.

The Eastgate Centre uses a tenth of the energy of a conventional building its size, saving $3.5 million compared to if it were to rely on air conditioning. The energy savings also transfer to residents of the building, who spend 20 percent less on average than the surrounding buildings in the city.

For other examples of biomimicry in engineering, see stories on sonar systems inspired by the horseshoe bat, drone flight inspired by whooper swans and cameo inspired by the cuttlefish.

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