5 Amazing Innovations in Construction and Engineering in 2021

Smart windows, plastic bricks and virus-busting ceiling fans!  That is a sample of the cutting-edge innovations emerging in 2021.  Factor in cross-channel online casino games built on the HTML5 platform and we are as smart as smart can be!

Next-Gen Construction Materials are Increasingly Unique

How has something as utilitarian as engineering and construction become so incredibly interesting?  It is not the structure of buildings that have changed.  It is the materials and the way they are used in the construction process that have become mind-bendingly unique.

Now when you think that Springbok Casino has no tangible structure at all, that is difficult enough to wrap the head around.  How does a vast collection of indefinable online casino games become so accessible?  Now, that is the question that confounds all of us, even though we know is answer is… by floating around in the cloud!

The Magic Resides in Sustainable Building Practices

Shift across to the real world of bricks and mortar and it is not only the cloud that is driving innovation.  The industry, like all industries, is grappling with the idea of sustainable building practices and smart design.  That is where the magic resides.

Ubiquitous Windows Have Become Smart

What are the innovations in construction and engineering that are turning heads?   Firstly, something as ubiquitous as windows has been re-imagined and to great effect.

There are windows that become power-generating solar cells when heated by the sun.  That, of course, provides residents with sweeping views – plus the ability to go off the grid.  Windows that have in-built light adjustment capabilities are arguably smarter than that.

Smart windows use sensors to detect the amount of natural light that hits the panes at any given point in the day.  Based on that sensory data, they automatically turn opaque in strong sunlight or translucent in the gloom.

Who would have thought that drapes, blinds and curtains would become obsolete?  We guess the same people who thought we would never land a spaceship on Mars – or send mail any way other than through the post.  Let’s face it, not many of us predicted we would be able to play online casino games – and win buckeroos while chilling out in bed!

Green Driveways for Better Quality H2O

Now, we all know alleyways and driveways can exacerbate flooding and direct heavily polluted stormwater into our rivers and dams.  A hot new trend – rather than an innovation – is that of eco-friendly green driveways.

The best way to construct a green driveway is to lay a hard surface for the tyres and the tyres along.  The remaining space is filled with live materials like grass, turf or indigenous plants.  Alternatively, the use of permeable porous concrete will do.

Both methods promote the absorption of runoff, replenish underground aquifers and naturally filter dirt and impurities from the water before it reaches the endpoint – which could be a local lake, river or the ocean.

In American cities, this same concept is being applied to what used to be dark, dingy alleyways.  With substantiable re-surfacing and bit of greening, these previously ‘dead’ and crime-ridden areas have become pleasant and healthy outdoor spaces for city residents.

Bacteria Enabled Concrete Crack Repair

Besides permeable concrete, a ground-breaking concept is that of self-healing concrete.  Now what on earth is that?  Concrete may be strong and durable but it has a propensity to crack.  Now some smart fellow has come up with a fascinating solution – injecting live bacillus bacteria into the concrete mix.

How can a living organism resolve cracks in concrete?  If fed enough of the right kind of food, it actually produces limestone that automatically seals cracks.  How amazing is that?  Fortunately, bacillus bacteria are more than satisfied with calcium lactate on the menu.  That too is added to the mix!

The good news for Springbok Casino is no walls mean no cracks.  We do, however, have a cracking selection of online casino games that is always available on-demand!

Upcycled Plastic Eco-Bricks – Less Waste, Cheaper Void Filler

What is another widely used construction material?  Bricks, of course.  Rather than firing clay, sustainable construction companies have turned their attention to plastic.  More specifically, plastic waste.

The mounds of plastic that usually finds its way into landfill sites is being stuffed into 2L plastic bottles.  These now-rigid bottles – or eco-bricks – are used as void filler.  Old shopping bags, sweet wrappers, chip packets and plastic packaging are now basically responsible for keeping a building structurally sound!

The great news is more than five tons of upcycled plastic can be used to fill unutilised space in just one three-storey building.  That, my friends, is the equivalent of 1.210 times the weight of a large male hippopotamus!

Bladeless Fans are More efficient at Cooling and Saving Energy

The clever clods at Shanghai University have come up with a ceiling fan that is extraordinarily efficient.   It not only cools at twice the speed of conventional fans; it uses half the electricity.

Here’s a thing.  With this fan, there are no exposed blades to move the air around.  There is a spinning vortex instead, which sucks air from below and showers cascades of coolness into the room.

Virus Killing Capabilities are Big News

It is, however, the gadget’s virus and bacteria killing capabilities that are arguably more news worthy.  A LED lamp, located in the centre of the elliptical-shaped fan, provides the room with different levels of light.  One of the lighting options is a UV light, which is particularly well-known for decimating lurgies in the air long before they infect anyone else!

Playing Online Casino Games in a Safe Environment

What we do know for sure is the timing of this virus-slaying innovation is spot on!  Wouldn’t you prefer to play online casino games in a confined space with friends knowing it could never become a super-spreader event?  It does entail signing up at Springbok Casino first… or the accrued winnings are only funny money rather than genuine rands and cents!