Technical Report (Introduction) Draft #1

Background

This report respond to a call for proposal to recommend an engineering solution to a specific problem in the built environment case of focus. The team decided to convince Building & Construction Authority to adopt the idea of using mycelium bricks and initiate a pilot project in Yio Chu Kang private housing estate.

Cement is inarguably the most used and crucial construction resource since civilizations came into existence and more buildings that are bigger and taller will inevitably be constructed in the future. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) states that most of our concrete in the world is being used to construct buildings and that the main ingredient of concrete is cement, whose production contributes to 8% of the world’s carbon emissions, which is equivalent to 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year (BBC, 2018).

According to Climate & Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), the process of producing bricks in kilns releases large amounts of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and black carbon into the atmosphere. These effects are not easily reversed and will accumulate in the earth’s atmosphere much to the suffering of future generations.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) mentioned in their special report that it is essential to maintain global temperature within 1.5 degree celsius . A one-degree increment of global temperature can result in a drastic increase of the atmospheric temperature.

Based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the global temperature in September 2009 was 0.62 degree celsius. Currently, the global temperature is at 0.95 degree celsius. Despite it being under 1.5 degrees, there was a 0.32 degree increase of global temperature within a decade.

Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, mentioned that Singapore generated 52.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2017 which contributed 0.11% of global emissions, that equates to 8,000 tonnes of CO2 per capita in that year (The Straits Times, 2019). With the rise of carbon emission, it will lead to an increase of Singapore’s daily temperature from 35 to 37 degrees celsius. (Dr Muhammad Eeqmal Hassim, senior research scientist with the MSS Centre for Climate Research Singapore).

The most direct way Bricknology can contribute to the reduction of climate change is through convincing BCA to adopt the idea of using mycelium bricks. One tonne of cement produces 1.2 tonnes of CO2 (BBC, 2018). As mentioned, Singapore contributed 0.11% of global emission hence by implementing the use of mycelium bricks in Singapore, it will help tackle the overall global problem of reducing the production of conventional bricks. Thus reducing emissions of greenhouse gasses.




1.1 Current practices for Yio Chu Kang private housing

The current bricks used to build the internal structure of the house in Yio Chu Kang private housing are made up of clay and concrete. Clay bricks are more commonly used in the construction industry in Singapore.


1.2 Problem Statement

Building Construction Authority (BCA) is not implementing the use of mycelium bricks despite it potential. Bricknology aims to convince BCA to pilot the use of mycelium bricks in Yio Chu Kang private housing estates.


1.3 Purpose Statement

The purpose of this report is to propose to convince BCA to implement the use of mycelium bricks in all newly constructed private houses located at Yio Chu Kang.