Plant fibres applied to ventilated façades

Who is the project aimed at?

Construction materials companies and, indirectly, agricultural producers.

Project objective

To develop new high-performance, durable, sustainable and competitively priced composite materials based on a Portland cement matrix reinforced with plant fibres and nonwoven fabrics, for use in ventilated façade panels.

Project description

To improve efficiency in the construction sector, it is necessary, on the one hand, to develop more environmentally friendly materials and, on the other, to develop new construction solutions that reduce building energy consumption.

Currently, ventilated façade systems are among the most widely used construction solutions for building envelopes. These systems provide continuity between the thermal insulation and waterproof layers, preventing thermal bridges and consequently reducing energy loss and water condensation. These envelopes must meet several requirements, including strength, flexibility, ductility, lightness, permeability, thermal insulation and durability. In this regard, it is important to develop new materials for this application using environmentally friendly, low-cost raw materials.

The project includes three lines of research:

• the development of optimised nonwoven reinforcement structures to provide maximum mechanical reinforcement, good impregnation by the cement-based matrix and improved stability;
• the optimisation of the Portland cement composition in the matrices to increase matrix strength, together with the removal of calcium hydroxide through a pozzolanic reaction and the optimisation of cement paste flowability to ensure good infiltration; and
• the preparation and characterisation of composites suitable for ventilated façade panels, using the highest possible content of renewable, recyclable and low-cost materials and low-energy processes.

The results will help develop new construction materials based on renewable resources, generating little waste and suitable for ventilated façade panels, thereby contributing to improved building energy efficiency.

Project funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Project BIA2014-59399-R