After the food had been consumed it would be filled with locally sourced materials such as sand, soil or even water. This would then provide extra insulation before being used to build houses, churches, community centres or possibly animal pens. With the LifeBlock's versatility, the limit is your imagination.
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The LifeBlock would be manufactured using the process of blow moulding polypropylene (a thermoplastic that is used in a wide range of applications such as furniture and automotive components).
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A Virtual Tour of the LifeBlock.
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What is the problem with bottles? |
At Insul-ate, we strongly oppose the use of plastic bottles. But why you may ask? Plastic bottles are not efficient nor useful to developing countries. A plastic bottle can take a minimum of around 450 years to biodegrade with some possibly needing 1000 years, meaning bottles aren't going to disappear anytime soon. Instead, they will continue to create pollution, one more reason why the LifeBlock is the way forward.
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Effective. |
Another problem the LifeBlock can deal with is staying warm at night. Although poorer countries in Africa can usually be associated with extremely warm temperatures, this is not the case at night. This is mainly down to the fact that they have little or no cloud coverage.
To boost insulation the LifeBlock could be built with two layers to provide a cavity wall insulation effect, Wasted plastic such as empty bottles would be used as a filler. This is also where our compactor will come into operation, which we'll explain in more detail later. The LifeBlock could also be filled with naturally sourced materials to provide an important boost of insulation and strength within the walls. To calculate the insulation of the LifeBlock, we used a thermal resistance calculation (where R is equal to the thickness in metres divided by the thermal conductivity in W/mk) as shown in the document below, along with explanation and examples of how it works. |
The Next Phase. |
The LifeRoof is the next big step in the LifeSeries, whose development we completed for the 2018 Big Bang Fair. The LifeRoof will accompany the LifeBlock in action to provide economical roofing, completing a suitable housing solution. The LifeRoof has a unique design, which can be adapted to various circumstances and also used as a pallet during the transportation phase.
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The LifeRoof |
The LifeRoof features a flat design with fixed dimensions, meaning it can be utilised easily in smaller builds, i.e. basic housing. For larger projects such as hospitals, they would require basic support work. This enables an average person to construct with relative ease, whilst also allowing it to be used for larger scale projects.
To continue the desire to eradicate wasted space, the LifeRoof can be also be used as a pallet during the transportation phase. This eradicates any excess space, when the LifeBlock cannot fill in a container to its maximum. The LifeRoof will be blow moulded and will therefore be hollow with a honeycomb support mesh, to ensure it will support the weight of LifeBlocks in transit. |
LifeGutter
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The LifeGutter enables the LifeRoof to collect clean rainwater for drinking. The water, collected by the LifeGutter, would then be deposited into a water butt, which could be used for drinking water. Enabling LifeBlock houses to collect rainwater, not only makes it more convenient for owners, but also contributes to a more sustainable future.
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How does it build together? |
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Recycling
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The Compactor's job is to simply assist the LifeBlock. As we've mentioned before it would crush plastics such as bottles, which would then be used as a filler between LifeBlocks. (A cavity wall insulation effect). Compactors would be sent out to a ratio of 200:1 (LifeBlocks : Compactors)
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How can it help the LifeBlock? |
The compactor, as mentioned, will crush waste plastic and other insulating materials, in order to boost the capability of insulation. The crushed materials will then act as a cavity wall insulation making a formation of LifeBlock - Crushed Material - LifeBlock. This will not only help to retain heat, but will also reduce the amount of waste in the community.
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Why is waste a problem?
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Waste is a rapidly growing problem in a number of developing countries and the major source is us! Although we endeavour to help these people, it's the empty plastic bottles that cause the problem. With no secondary use, they are simply dumped onto an ever growing pile, causing pollution and creating more problems for struggling countries.
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“A very interesting idea and well done in gaining awards…Very best of luck with your innovative work.”
~ Barbara Frost, Former CEO of WaterAid