Concrete Patents: Innovative Building Materials and Construction Processes

The world of patents has always expanded exponentially in line with innovative inventions and materials, and this has been particularly true in the first few decades of the 21st century, which have delivered numerous construction materials and jointing and bonding techniques. ETH Zurich's Silke Langenberg, Sarah M Schlachetzki and Robin Rehm draw attention to the fact that within the academic field of construction heritage, little research has been done to review historical patents for possible sustainable construction materials and methods left by the wayside in the pursuit of industrialised architectural modernism.