"The better that other industries become at reducing their carbon burden, then the more exposed construction will become as an outlier," according to one industry expert.
The problem of stolen manhole covers in Turkey might seem an unlikely starting point for a new way for buildings to withstand earthquakes and tackle the construction industry's environmental issues, but when a Turkish businessman heard about a new material that prevented the thefts, it sparked an idea.
Cast iron is traditionally used to make the manhole covers that protect drainage systems. But back in 2010, a spate of thefts of the covers for scrap metal in Turkey meant that an alternative, with equally strong material needed to be used to secure them. And when Engin Yesil read about this super-strong composite in news reports, he wondered whether it could be used to construct buildings that were able to withstand earthquakes -- a significant risk in Turkey.
Yesil began manufacturing the composite, known as Renco (short for "renewable composite") consisting of up to 40% repurposed materials including resin and fiberglass. Since 2011 more than 200 buildings in Turkey have been built using Renco blocks, which fit together like Lego bricks and are secured with glue.
Yesil wondered whether Renco had potential in the U.S., and after more than a decade of research and testing, Renco was used to build an apartment complex in Palm Springs in 2023.
Along with being able to withstand catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes (the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and an increasing phenomenon due to climate change), Renco claims to be greener than other building materials. The construction sector is "by far" the largest emitter of greenhouse gases of any sector, according to a 2023 U.N. report, making up 37% of global emissions.