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Cardboard And Soil Combined Beats Concrete

Australian researchers have invented a revolutionary way to build walls using nothing but recycled cardboard boxes, dirt, and water that costs one third the price of concrete while producing 75 percent less carbon pollution. The team at RMIT University calls their creation cardboard confined rammed earth, and it works by packing moist soil inside cardboard tubes or forms until the earth dries and hardens with the cardboard staying in place as part of the finished wall. This breakthrough tackles two massive problems at once because Australia throws away more than two million tons of cardboard every year while cement production creates roughly eight percent of all global carbon emissions. The technique draws inspiration from ancient Indigenous building traditions where Aboriginal Australians constructed durable shelters using earth, clay, and natural fibers thousands of years before concrete existed.

Builders can construct these walls on site using the soil they dig up during foundation work, which means the only material they need to transport is lightweight cardboard. The thick earth walls also keep indoor spaces naturally comfortable without air conditioning because they absorb heat during hot days and release it slowly at night. Engineers developed mathematical formulas that let builders calculate exactly how much weight a wall can hold based on cardboard thickness, giving architects confidence to design multi story buildings. The research team now hopes to partner with construction companies to move from laboratory testing to real world applications, though getting new materials approved requires navigating complex building codes and safety regulations that typically take several years.

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