The construction industry is a significant contributor to global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, accounting for 25% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The production of building materials, such as fired clay bricks, is a major source of CO2 emissions. To reduce emissions, there is a need to adopt more sustainable building materials and techniques. One approach is to revive traditional earth construction methods, which use mud as a primary building material. Earth is an abundant, accessible, and sustainable material that can be used to build walls, roofs, and floors. However, its durability is limited, and it requires stabilization techniques to improve its strength and resistance to water.
Termites have been found to construct durable and rigid structures using soil and their saliva, which contains glycoproteins. These glycoproteins can be used as a natural and sustainable stabilizer for earth construction. Biomimicry, the practice of emulating nature’s patterns and strategies, can be applied to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the construction industry. By studying the techniques used by termites and other organisms, researchers can develop new methods for stabilizing earth and reducing CO2 emissions in the construction sector.