Sugarcrete
Sugarcrete
Summary
The Sugarcrete®️ project brings together experts from the University of East London and sector leading organisations Grimshaw and Tate & Lyle Sugars to co-create ideas and offer viable construction solutions for real world applications, using bio-waste as the core resource.
The project has been developed as a collaboration between the MArch Architecture programme and the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) by Armor Gutierrez Rivas, Senior Lecturer in Architecture; Alan Chandler, Dean of Research and Bamdad Ayati, SRI Research Fellow, with partners Elena Shilova, Grimshaw Architects, and John Kerr, Vice President of Research & Technology, Tate & Lyle Sugars.

Project aims
The aim of the project is to develop ultra-low carbon building components using sugarcane bio-waste (bagasse), allowing the storage of biogenic carbon from fast-growing plants in construction materials as an effective strategy to delay carbon emissions.

Project details
Sugarcane is the world's largest crop by production volume. The processing of sugarcane to produce sugar, generates enough products to entirely replace high energy-demanding construction systems such as concrete or brick. Sugarcane growth provides one of the fastest CO2-to-biomass conversion mediums available, up to 50 times more efficient than forestry.
Research developed at UEL demonstrates how this waste stream can provide a sustainable construction material. The new Sugarcrete®️ material, prototyped using advanced digital modelling and robotic fabrication, presents high-quality mechanical, acoustic, fire and thermal properties, and has been tested to industry standards for fire resistance (ISO 1716:2021), compressive strength (ASTM C39), thermal conductivity (Hot-Box method) and durability (BS EN 927-6), carried out at UEL by the research team in the Sustainability Research Institute (SRI) facilities. The testing has shown promising results for Sugarcrete®️ to be used use as insulation panels, lightweight blocks, load bearing blockwork and structural floor and roof slabs.
Grimshaw's interest in interlocking geometries has brought new opportunities to deploy Sugarcrete®️ as a spanning element to construct a demountable, reusable, fire resistant composite floor slab called Sugarcrete®️ Slab a one of a series of prototypes developing innovative construction applications which can be applied, disassembled, or extended in new or existing structures.
Sugarcrete®️ Slab adapts Abeille’s 1699 design for dry assembly flat vaults - the system is made of interlocking components which transfer loads across the slab between blocks, restrained using post-tensioned perimeter ties, reducing the steel content of the slab up to 90 per cent. Reducing steel, combined with the use of sugar cane fibres of different densities in a modular system allows the slab assembly to avoid the potential risks of cracking which occur with traditional concrete in extreme situations, absorbing the effects of seismic shock – a characteristic vital in earthquake prone regions where sugar cane is cultivated.
Prototype testing conducted at UEL's SRI laboratories shows that Sugarcrete®️ Slab can offer an alternative to concrete slabs while demonstrating exemplary environmental benefits including carbon emissions 20 times lower than traditional concrete. The system also minimises curing time to one week compared to standard concrete which takes at least 28 days, it is five times lighter than concrete, and is substantially cheaper compared to concrete production.
Upcycling bagasse could help develop locally made construction solutions for sugar producing communities in the global South where construction materials are frequently imported, environmentally poor performing, high cost and high carbon – for example a concrete block in Cuba, a major sugar producing country costs $3 – an average monthly salary is $148.
The project partners are identifying sites in the sugar producing Global South where the Sugarcrete®️ Slab prototype will next be tested in collaboration with local NGOs. Key to the research is to develop a technology and production outcome that uses sugar cane bio-waste in its local context – minimising transportation costs for local producers allows localised production to make radically new, affordable and ultra-low carbon ‘vernacular’ building materials that can create new income streams via export to the Global North.



Sugarcane waste to be used as low carbon alternative to concrete
View the project in action
Ongoing projects
- School Demonstrator India: Building a school extension using Sugarcrete® collaborating with the local plantation communities and state government.
- OTT Silvertown: Co-design workshops for a local community space using Sugarcrete® in Silvertown, London.
- Net Zero Circular Solutions S.A.: Ongoing discussion on the development of Sugarcrete® in Costa Rica.
Award nominations
- Earthshot Prize: Nominated under the category of build a waste free world (winners will be announced in November 2023)
- Climate Positive Awards Green Cross UK: Finalist 2023 (winners will be announced in December 2023)
- Dezeen Sustainability Award – Material Innovation Category: Longlisted 2023 (winners will be announced in November 2023)
- RISE Award Leeds Becket University: Finalist 2023

Reports and articles
UEL Sugarcrete Slab Report Oct 2021
pdf, 8.9 MB
UEL Sugarcrete Slab Report - 7 Nov 2022
pdf, 9.14 MB
- Grimshaw and UEL develop Sugarcrete blocks that "could replace the traditional brick industry" - article in Dezeen, May 2023.

People
Material Concept, Design and Fabrication
- Armor Gutierrez Rivas, UEL Senior Lecturer in Architecture
- Alan Chandler, UEL Dean of Research
- Bamdad Ayati, UEL SRI Research Fellow
- Elena Shilova, Grimshaw Architects.
Collaborators
- John Kerr, Vice President, Research & Technology, Tate & Lyle Sugars
- Andy Watts, Director of Design Technology, Grimshaw
- Paris Nikitidis - XR Developer, Grimshaw
- Philip Singer - Computational Design Specialist, Grimshaw
- Georgios Tsakiridis - Consultant, Grimshaw
- Paolo Vimercati - Consultant, Grimshaw
- Robert Sims - Model shop Manager, Grimshaw
- Paul Nichols – FabLab Manager, UEL
- Dr David Tann - Dean of School of Architecture, Computing & Engineering, UEL
- Carl Callaghan - Head of Department of Architecture and Visual Arts, UEL
- Alex Scott-Whitby - Architecture & Physical Design Cluster Lead, UEL
- Nicolo Bencini - Senior Structural Engineer, AKTII
- Sky Henley - Computational Design Specialist
UEL Master of Architecture Students Team:
Faith Omowunmi Ogundare, Busra Ciftci, Amy Gillespie, Hinal Arvindkumar Patel, Rova Taha, Dodangodagamage Kawan Roger Ranasinghe, Manoj Sai Ganji, Mohan Ukabhai Dungrani, Anca-Madalina Borda, Alina Klimenteva, Rashmi Madagamage Gunathilaka, Orseer Isreal Gbashah, Mahmoud Sayed Abdellattif, Mert Manas Erten, Hidayati Yazmin Binti Abdul Halim, Oluchukwu Judith Obiejesi, Svetoslav Georgie Slav, Mihriban Ustun
Photography
Chromaphotography
Videography
Jude Adoasi
Editing & filming
Louis Bird and Ellie Saunders, Grimshaw
References
- Yuri Estrin; Arcady Dyskin and Elena Pasternak: Topological interlocking as a material design concept
- AAU Anastas and Maurizio Brocato : The Flat vault, (published on Dezeen in 2018)
- Giuseppe Fallacara, Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella: Topological Interlocking Blocks for Architecture: From Flat to Curved Morphologies
- Michael Weizmann, Oded Amir and Yasha Jacob Grobman: Topological interlocking in buildings: A case for the design and construction of floors
- Yuri Estrin, Vinayak R. Krishnamurthy and Ergun Akleman: Design of architectured materials based on topological and geometrical interlocking
- Yuri Estrin: '’Architectured' materials for resilient societies - Entry to the catalogue of the Italian pavilion at the 17th Architecture Biennale in Venice’’
- William Arnott: ‘’New material could revolutionise Australian construction’’
- Giuseppe Fallacara, Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella: Topological Interlocking Blocks for Architecture: From Flat to Curved Morphologies
- Francesca Lecci, Cecilia Mazzoli, Cristiana Bartolomei and Riccardo Gulli: Design of Flat Vaults with Topological Interlocking Solids
- Oliver Tessmann and Andrea Rossi: Geometry as Interface - Parametric and Combinatorial Topological Interlocking Assemblies
