Research on Cellulose Nanofibre Reinforced Cement by fourth year undergraduate Architectural Studies Student Ramsey Leung has been accepted as an abstract for the first International Conference on Bio-based Building Materials (ICBBM). Leung’s research was conducted at the University of Toronto in collaboration with Professor Mohini Sain and Suhara Panthapulakkal from U of T’s Centre for Biocomposites and Biomaterials Processing, and Associate Professor Daman Panesar from the Department of Civil Engineering. Their work may contribute to more sustainable building practices in the future.

“Advances in renewable nanofibre technology could potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the production of concrete, while also expanding the formal boundaries of designing with concrete,” says Leung.

Cracks in cement-based materials caused by heavy loads start to form at the nanoscale level, explain the researchers in their abstract. As a result, traditional fibre reinforcements (which address problems at the macro and micro-scale level) are not effective. Nanofibre reinforcement can help delay the formation of nanocracks, improving the tensile strength of cement-based materials, which would make it possible for them to accommodate higher loads.

Different investigations have shown that carbon nanofibre reinforcement can increase the tensile strength of cement composites; however, at present, the production of carbon-based nanofibres are highly energy intensive. Cellulose nanofibre reinforcement is now being examined as a renewable alternative.

The Bio-based Building Materials conference, to be held June 21- 24, 2015 in Clermont Ferrand, France, is an international forum for research and practice related to innovative bio-construction materials and technologies that advance sustainable development.