It doesn’t sound great at first, but these urine bricks could someday be an important building material. Attempting to find an alternative to relatively resource and energy intensive kiln fired bricks, engineering student Suzanne Lambert from Cape Town took to one of humanity’s most prolific creations.

These bricks are made using urine, sand, and living bacteria and harden at room temperature, removing the need for firing thanks to the process of microbial carbonate precipitation. The bacteria produces the enzyme urease which helps break down the urea in urine and produces calcium carbonate which helps the bricks hold their shape and harden in their moulds. Each brick takes four to six days to grow and can be left longer for a stronger result.

The concept is a continuation of research conducted in 2017 by Jules Henze and Lambert’s current supervisor Dyllon Randall, along with Vukheta Mukhari, a civil engineering student who aided in its trial and testing. Lambert is the first to produce a brick form out of the material.

The result is a zero waste building material that makes use of a mass produced product that is consistently wasted the world over. Collection of urine is currently achived with the use of a fertiliser-producing urinal which serves as one of the issues for mass marketing the product. Another masters student is working on the logistics behind collection and transportation of urine, hoping to ensure the viability of these bio-bricks as an eco friendly alternative in the near future.

Last year we covered bioMASON who also employ bacteria in their brick production to create an experimental building material that is good for the planet. Check out the article here.

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