Article
Students from Aalborg University Develop Sustainable Building Materials

Article
Students from Aalborg University Develop Sustainable Building Materials

Article
Article
Sustainable Building Materials
The main focus of the project is bricks which are traditionally made from clay – a limited raw material. The students aim to investigate whether it is possible to replace clay with alternative materials without compromising the strength of the bricks. A particularly interesting initiative is the attempt to recycle wind turbine blades which contain fiberglass and epoxy. The fiberglass could potentially strengthen the bricks while the epoxy might reduce the energy consumption during firing.
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Sustainable Living Lab is not only a research-based project but also serves as a learning platform for AAU students. In the project, students collaborate across disciplines – including chemistry, materials, and civil engineering – to develop and test new bricks. Each discipline has its own specialized role in the development and optimization of the bricks:
Problem-Based Learning
The educational aspect of the LeadENG project, "Sustainable Living Lab," is largely based on Aalborg University's problem-based learning (PBL) model which supports collaboration across academic fields. Through this project, students gain not only technical knowledge but also experience in interdisciplinary collaboration and solving complex problems in real-world scenarios. It teaches them how to work in teams and gives them experience in communicating and integrating knowledge from different technical and scientific backgrounds to create solutions.
The collaboration is not only valuable for the development of sustainable bricks but also provides students with an understanding of how different engineer directions can contribute with specific perspectives and methods to solve a common problem.
Chemical engineers focus on chemical composition and production efficiency, materials engineers focus on testing and robustness, while civil engineers ensure that the bricks' properties work in building constructions and real-world environments. This interdisciplinary collaboration gives students a holistic approach to problem-solving which is essential in today's construction industry, where the demands for sustainability and efficient resource use are continually increasing.
Construction of "Living Lab"
A key component of the project is the construction of a "Living Lab" greenhouse where the research will be demonstrated using replaceable blocks of bricks that showcase different stages of innovation. This building will be continuously updated with new and improved materials. The project group received financial support from the Hoffman Foundation in 2024 to establish the greenhouse.
About the Project