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<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

<strong>Building</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>termites</strong>: The challenge of<br />

biomimetic design for carbon neutral<br />

buildings<br />

J. R. J. French1 , and B. M. Ahmed (Shiday) 2<br />

1Faculty of Science,<br />

University of the Sunshine Coast,<br />

Maroochydore DC, Qld, 4558, Australia<br />

2Melbourne School of Land and Environment<br />

The University of Melbourne, Vic. Australia.


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Introduction<br />

1. The main aim of this presentation is to present humanity<br />

and <strong>termites</strong> as design partners in the creation of a new<br />

dimension of ecosystem understanding.<br />

2. opens up a new era in how we think of human habitations,<br />

using termite model as the corner stone of innovative<br />

engineering.<br />

3. We know that <strong>termites</strong> are masters of constructing<br />

‘buildings’ that meet all nutrition, energy, waste disposal<br />

needs, shelter, and food sources for many other animals<br />

and insects. We need to emulate the symbiotic abilities of<br />

<strong>termites</strong> to survive over time.<br />

4. we can mimic termite design and management systems in<br />

our bid to manage and sustain energy efficient buildings.


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Observing a termite mound grow


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termites design and<br />

architect<br />

From little things big things can grow!


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Centre of excellence was established<br />

In the early 2000’s to understand how structure and<br />

function are integrated and embodied in the complex<br />

architecture of the mound of the African fungalfeeding<br />

termite, Macrotermes michaelseni. The work<br />

was intended to answer three broad questions,<br />

namely:-<br />

• What are the detailed architectures that underlie<br />

physiological functions in termite mounds?<br />

• How do termite mounds integrate and coordinate<br />

multiple sources of energy to perform the overarching<br />

function of colony ventilation?<br />

• To what extent can the knowledge gained about<br />

these phenomena be applied to human construction<br />

and hence inform future architectural and engineering<br />

construction practice?


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termites regulate nest temperature and moisture<br />

Termites create energy sinks when regulating mound temperatures<br />

The lack of solid connection between the carton and wall<br />

must greatly reduce heat conductivity and thus passively aid<br />

the thermoregulation of the carton interior”.


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termite nests are “living buildings”<br />

We need to emulate the symbiotic abilities of <strong>termites</strong> to<br />

survive over time (200 million years)<br />

The nest is invariably closed to the atmosphere except when<br />

building takes place or the release of reproductives (alates).


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termite mound structures have been used as examples of<br />

biomimetic design for climate control in buildings<br />

Exterior of Eastgate Centre, Harare<br />

Exterior of Portcullis<br />

House, London


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Exterior of Council House Two (CH2), Collins<br />

St, Melbourne , Victoria, Australia.


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Nest structure of Coptotermes mounds.<br />

• the outer walls of C.<br />

lacteus mounds vary in<br />

thickness from 20 – 60cm.<br />

• The walls are not solid, but<br />

contain galleries, some of<br />

which are quite large<br />

towards the top of the<br />

mound and probably held<br />

pre-flight alates.<br />

• the clay wall of the<br />

mounds is distinctly<br />

separate from the interior<br />

carton, both by the change<br />

in material (from clay to<br />

primarily faecal material)<br />

and by a lattice-like layer of<br />

very fine carton of little<br />

structural strength


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Temperature<br />

Experience in Australia of termite thermoregulation<br />

and moisture control in mounds<br />

<strong>40</strong>.0<br />

35.0<br />

30.0<br />

25.0<br />

20.0<br />

15.0<br />

10.0<br />

5.0<br />

0.0<br />

0<br />

108<br />

216<br />

324<br />

432<br />

5<strong>40</strong><br />

Temperature<br />

648<br />

756<br />

864<br />

Hours<br />

972<br />

1080<br />

1188<br />

1296<br />

1<strong>40</strong>4<br />

1512<br />

nest 1<br />

soil 1<br />

room<br />

nest 2<br />

soil 2


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Spring and summer are the most active periods for the<br />

termite colony, as reflected in the high methane and<br />

carbon dioxide emission measurements.<br />

Sample Temp. o C<br />

range<br />

SUMMER<br />

H 2<br />

ppb<br />

CO<br />

ppb<br />

CH 4<br />

ppm<br />

CO 2<br />

ppm<br />

Bkgd 13.8-19.1 500±25.8 60±19.3 1.6±0.26 350±14.4<br />

Soil 13.8-20.9 297±96.6 73±17.6 1.6±0.29 857±57.0<br />

On Md 13.3-20.9 210±61.7 57±3.5 1.7±0.6 1213±1<strong>40</strong><br />

In Md 31.5-35.9 362±126 77±7.2 8.2±1.2 6.1±0.62*<br />

WINTER<br />

Bkgd 4.5-10.1 528±16.8 95±22.8 1.6±0.3 352±33.0<br />

Soil 4.2-10.2 277±73.1 103±15.9 1.5±0.03 671±112.8<br />

On Md 4.2-10.2 199±16.4 63±16.4 1.6±0.05 600±55.7<br />

In Md<br />

SPRING<br />

18.0-24.1 906±366 96±34.1 3.9±0.28 2.1±0.90*<br />

Bkgd 17.4-21.5 507±35.0 87±20.5 1.6±0.01 430±82.5<br />

Soil 17.4-21.5 268±80.0 146±59.5 1.6±0.04 825±127.5<br />

On Md 16.8-21.5 156±18.5 62±15.0 1.7±0.06 6<strong>40</strong>±93.0<br />

In Md 27 8-31 1 173±10 8 68±19 1 13 1±17 78±10*


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termite nest design influence the interactions among<br />

three properties of a termite nest’s microclimate:<br />

temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide.<br />

R.H.<br />

102<br />

100<br />

98<br />

96<br />

94<br />

92<br />

90<br />

88<br />

86<br />

84<br />

Humidities<br />

0 200 <strong>40</strong>0 600 800 1000 1200 1<strong>40</strong>0 1600 1800<br />

Hours<br />

Nest RH<br />

Soil MC


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Termites invest considerable time and energy constructing<br />

elaborate mounds out of clay, sand, silt, excreta and saliva,<br />

which they defend vigorously against predators and parasites<br />

Room<br />

27.4<br />

27.2<br />

27.0<br />

26.8<br />

26.6<br />

26.4<br />

26.2<br />

26.0<br />

25.8<br />

25.6<br />

25.4<br />

Temperature<br />

33.5 34.0 34.5 35.0 35.5 36.0 36.5 37.0<br />

Ne st1


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Conclusion remarks<br />

• The nutritional feature of re-eating of mound material<br />

has been exploited for many years in various laboratory<br />

rearing cultures and bioassays for many years. In looking<br />

towards biomimetic buildings, we need to consider the<br />

“living nature” of buildings that may involve water<br />

trapping and energy efficiency.<br />

• we hypothesis that this mound architecture allows rapid<br />

access to moisture for the colony members in times of<br />

prolonged drought and in order to carry out repairs and<br />

extensions to the mound .<br />

• harvester termite, Tumulitermes pastinator, study<br />

suggested that <strong>termites</strong> create energy sinks when<br />

regulating mound temperatures.<br />

• The future towards ‘building <strong>with</strong> <strong>termites</strong>’ hold<br />

immense challenges, intellectual and practical, for<br />

architects, builders, the wood protection industry as a<br />

whole, and building regulators


<strong>Building</strong><br />

<strong>with</strong> termite<br />

<strong>IRG</strong> <strong>40</strong> <strong>Beijing</strong>,<br />

<strong>China</strong><br />

May 2009<br />

Thank you<br />

Questions?<br />

Comments<br />

welcome

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