BIO

Hello, I am a second-year student at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering from Jacksonville, Florida. I chose this project since I was interested in creating stronger and more sustainable building materials, and I saw this algae-enhanced brick project as an intersection between my love for the natural world and the built world. This summer, I will complete an IDEA Grant fellowship on using algae to enhance permeable concrete. I hope to pursue a private, public, or academic career in the field of environmental engineering.

Strength properties of clay bricks made with marine algae

Abstract

Acquiring sustainable and durable building materials is at the top of many developers’ agendas today. In the past several years, researchers have increasingly explored incorporating algae or algae-derived products into mediums like concrete and clay bricks, ideally in a carbon-neutral-or-negative context. This research ranges from incorporating whole algae to using certain extracts of algae (like cellulose nanofibers and alginate) to create or enhance these building materials. Scientists have seen generally positive results, likely thanks to the fibers in algae that help bind particles together. We will expand this knowledge through experiments on how two selected species of whole algae (Agardhiella subulata and Sargassum muticum) impact the flexural and compressive strength of clay bricks, depending on the concentration of the algae.

Keywords: sustainability, construction, algae, renewable, biology