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Innovative Affordable Housing: Crafting Homes with Lego-like Blocks from Recycled Materials

By Bernadette Salapare | Jan 15, 2024 09:19 PM EST

In response to the scarcity of affordable housing, a corporation manufactured Lego-like bricks from recycled materials. As a result, it has been claimed that materials of this kind can either slow down or stop the spread of fire or lower its intensity.

(Photo : Renco USA)

Developing an Eco-friendly House

Renco USA, a Miami-based company, is constructing new homes from LEGO-like bricks compounded from recycled glass fibers and plastic, resin, and stone, as opposed to conventional building materials such as wood or concrete. Renco claims these blocks are 23 times more potent than concrete, completely recyclable, and fire resistant.

As mentioned, blocks of varying sizes and shapes are stacked according to color-coded building plans, which show workers where to arrange them during construction. After that, they use a glue gun loaded with industrial adhesive and a mallet to bind the blocks together in a permanent way.

The future of construction might be a brand-new system that combines color-coded building plans and blocks similar to LEGO. Moreover, a lack of affordable housing is a significant problem since the United States isn't constructing enough new homes, increasing the prices of the ones already on the market.

Constructing more affordable housing appears to be the obvious solution on paper; however, the supply needs to catch up due to a confluence of circumstances, including a recent scarcity of construction laborers and a surge in the expenses associated with construction materials.

Renco USA, a firm based in Miami, is constructing new homes with LEGO-like blocks made of recycled plastic and glass fibers blended with resin and stone. This technique is the future of construction because it eliminates the need to use traditional materials such as wood or concrete in the construction process.

According to Renco, these blocks are 23 times tougher than concrete, are entirely recyclable, and are resistant to fire. Blocks of varying sizes and shapes are stacked according to color-coded building plans, which show workers where to arrange them during construction.

Subsequently, they employ a glue gun loaded with professional adhesive in conjunction with a mallet to join the blocks permanently. Building more inexpensive houses is the obvious solution, but a shortage of construction workers and rising construction material costs prevent supply from meeting demand.

Also Read: Exploring Typical Work-Related Injuries on Construction Sites and Your Trusted Allies in Recovery

Construction of 96-unit apartment building

An eleven-person crew, equipped solely with a pestle, a glue gun, and a color-coded instruction manual, recently completed the construction of a 96-unit apartment complex in under two months. Renco, a highly recyclable construction material with interlocking blocks that can be assembled like that of Legos, was the secret they were keeping.

The blocks are a streamlining alternative to constructing wood, concrete, and steel buildings. They are stacked in the same manner as traditional cinderblocks and then hammered into position.

Accordingly, an agreement was struck with Renco's creator. The material was transported back to the United States to establish a facility to manufacture the blocks and then use those blocks to construct hurricane-proof houses throughout Florida.

When it came to ensuring the material's structural integrity and safety against off-gassing and other environmental risks, the company conducted over 400 tests on the material. Additionally, they tested against infestations of termites and other pests, mold, earthquakes, and hurricanes, given that storms affect Florida. It has been determined that the material can withstand a Category 5 storm.

Related Article: Building a Greener Future: Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Evolution to Sustainable Construction

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