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Author Topic: Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy  (Read 290 times)

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Offline rangerrebew

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Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy
« on: May 29, 2023, 11:22:02 am »
MAY 26, 2023

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Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy
by Frontiers

Part of the egress complex of a mound of Macrotermes michaelseni termites from Namibia. Credit: D. Andréen

Among the approximately 2,000 known species of termites, some are ecosystem engineers. The mounds built by some genera—for example Amitermes, Macrotermes, Nasutitermes, and Odontotermes—reach up to eight meters high, making them some of the world's largest biological structures. Natural selection has been at work improving the 'design' of their mounds over tens of millions of years. What might human architects and engineers learn if they go to the termites and consider their ways?


In a new study in Frontiers in Materials, researchers showed how termite mounds can teach us to create comfortable interior climates for our buildings that don't have the carbon footprint of air conditioning.

"Here we show that the 'egress complex,' an intricate network of interconnected tunnels found in termite mounds, can be used to promote flows of air, heat, and moisture in novel ways in human architecture," said Dr. David Andréen, a senior lecturer at the bioDigital Matter research group of Lund University, and the study's first author.

https://techxplore.com/news/2023-05-termite-mounds-reveal-secret-energy.html
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Offline rangerrebew

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Re: Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2023, 11:23:31 am »
I'm just guessing, but I have to believe termite mounds here in Michigan would be constructed much differently than those in Namibia. :pondering:
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The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.
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Online Smokin Joe

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Re: Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2023, 02:53:59 am »
Mud hut, either way.
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Offline Texas Yellow Rose

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Re: Termite mounds reveal secret to creating 'living and breathing' buildings that use less energy
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2023, 03:29:45 am »
Like Cappadocia, Turkey ...
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