TY  - EJOU
AU  - Roedel, Henning 
AU  - Plata, Isamar Rosa 
AU  - Lepech, Michael 
AU  - Loftus, David 

TI  - Sustainability Assessment of Protein-Soil Composite Materials for Limited Resource Environments
T2  - Journal of Renewable Materials

PY  - 2015
VL  - 3
IS  - 3
SN  - 2164-6341

AB  - This article presents the sustainability assessment of a novel biocomposite material that is under investigation by
NASA for use in construction in limited resource environments. The composite consists of soil particles
solidified by a protein binding agent. Preliminary compressive strength data suggests the biocomposite could be
used for numerous construction applications. To assess the biocomposite’s potential for use in sustainable
construction, a comparative process-based life cycle assessment between biocomposite and concrete pavers was
performed to analyze the life cycle primary energy and IMPACT 2002+ points of both types of pavers. Results
show that the concrete pavers outperform the biocomposite pavers in initial impact. However, biocomposite
pavers can be more favorable when binder reclamation and reuse scenarios are taken into account at end-of-life.
Based on these results, recommendations include switching to a mixture of lower grade proteins to reduce the
biocomposite impact as well as further laboratory investigations into recycling scenarios.
KW  - Biocomposite
KW  -  sustainability
KW  -  protein
KW  -  concrete

DO  - 10.7569/JRM.2015.634107