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Crinkle-Crankle Concrete

Partner Programme

20 Sept 2022

Architecture / Landscape, Materials

AKT II

White Collar Factory

1 Old Street Yard

London

EC1Y 8AF

#crinklecrankleconcrete

This installation playfully uses a traditional ‘crinkle-crankle’ wall design to showcase a cutting-edge cement-replacement technology – Seratech – allowing carbon-neutral concrete. The material has been developed by Seratech’s researchers at Imperial College London, while the installation is engineered by AKT II.

Seratech is a bespoke cement mix that incorporates a proportion of low-carbon material. It’s made through a unique chemical process that allows a carbon capture that’s both efficient and low-cost. The aim is for humanity to be able to continue building robust cities and infrastructure, but without the climate cost of traditional cement mixes. The installation itself is constructed from uniform Seratech blocks that are orientated around conduit points and then restrained using recycled formwork. The curving form removes the need for any permanent connective elements, which makes the structure fully demountable, and ready for the circular economy. It’s been delivered for LDF 2022 with support from the contractor Byrne Bros. Conceptually, the structure also tells the story of Seratech’s development; each block reveals a unique stage in the material’s refinement. It can also be expanded for future exhibitions, as the material’s research continues. Ultimately, Seratech is a material innovation that will help in the fight against the climate crisis.