RUBACON Program

Abstract

Energy, climate change, industrial development and air pollution are critical items on the international agenda. Addressing them in unison creates many win-win opportunities and is crucial for sustainable development. RUBACON - Resource Utilization for Building And CONstruction is a unit of Arcilla Research that aims to counter climate change and poverty. Our policy is to provide a significant opportunity for communities to recycle their 'waste' materials and create sustainable systems of housing, energy, water and satisfy many other needs at little cost but with high benefit to the environment. The final materials are neither cements nor ceramics yet offer many of the advantages of both. The chemical inertness, strength, thermal stability, hardness and aesthetic properties of fired ceramics can be obtained. At the same time, curing at ambient temperature, or slightly higher, saves a great deal of energy compared to conventional ceramic production. A further advantage is the ease with which the materials can be shaped either as large flat sheets, hollow beams, contoured shapes, expanded foam structures or fiber-reinforced composites. Their higher strength compared to cement means that thinner, lighter panels or entire structures can be produced. A study at Delft University of Technology, completed in 1988, demonstrated the credibility of this approach. The project, financed by the Dutch Ministry of Housing, made use of secondary resource materials from some 6 countries on 3 continents to produce the test specimens. The Program includes a group of interrelated projects with the key project, advanced building materials and construction system, at the core. The materials are low to zero carbon and lightweight – gender-sensitive; they may be produced and assembled by women and older children. The construction system is designed to be energy autonomous and stable – providing extremely high resistance to earthquake, storm, fire and flood. With innovative building technology and a commitment to sustainable development, this paper strives to address these twin problems in both rural and urban settings.