Closing the Loops in Textile
Architecture: Innovative Strategies
and Limits of Introducing Biopolymers
in Membrane Structures
Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli and Salvatore Viscuso
Abstract Biopolymers have been increasingly introduced in some application sectors, such as food packaging, fashion, and design objects, while the typical technical textiles for architecture remain polymeric composites, based on the use of
non-renewable resources. In lightweight construction and textile architecture, the
introduction of novel materials requires a long process of verification of their performances, in order to guarantee the safety levels required by building standards.
The paper aims to focus on potentiality and constrains to the application of more
eco-friendly coated textiles, woven, and non-woven membranes in architecture. The
paper proposes a couple of strategies and best practices to be applied in lightweight
architecture: (1) creating fabrics from recycled fibers, on the one hand, and (2) acting
on the coating with biopolymers, on the other hand. Eventually, the paper focuses
on some recent experimental research led by the authors at the ABC Department,
on the environmental assessment of ultra-lightweight materials, based on the LCA
methodology.
Keywords Biopolymers · Technical textiles · Lightweight architecture ·
Eco-efficiency
1 Textile Industry in a Sustainable Bio-economy
The textile industry in Europe over the last ten years has shown distinctive development trends for the general textile and leather goods sector and its specific
technical textiles subdivision (ExportPlanning 2018). Beside almost imperceptible improvements of the main textile sector, consistent European competitiveness
appears in the production of “technical textiles,” created by high-tech value-added
supply chains, such as automotive, geo-textiles, medical, architecture, furniture, and
technical clothing sectors (Fig. 1). The world production of woven and non-woven
A. Zanelli (B) · C. Monticelli · S. Viscuso
Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering—ABC Department, Politecnico di
Milano, Milan, Italy
e-mail: alessandra.zanelli@polimi.it
© The Author(s) 2020
S. Della Torre et al. (eds.), Regeneration of the Built Environment
from a Circular Economy Perspective, Research for Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33256-3_25
263
Architecture: Innovative Strategies
and Limits of Introducing Biopolymers
in Membrane Structures
Alessandra Zanelli, Carol Monticelli and Salvatore Viscuso
Abstract Biopolymers have been increasingly introduced in some application sectors, such as food packaging, fashion, and design objects, while the typical technical textiles for architecture remain polymeric composites, based on the use of
non-renewable resources. In lightweight construction and textile architecture, the
introduction of novel materials requires a long process of verification of their performances, in order to guarantee the safety levels required by building standards.
The paper aims to focus on potentiality and constrains to the application of more
eco-friendly coated textiles, woven, and non-woven membranes in architecture. The
paper proposes a couple of strategies and best practices to be applied in lightweight
architecture: (1) creating fabrics from recycled fibers, on the one hand, and (2) acting
on the coating with biopolymers, on the other hand. Eventually, the paper focuses
on some recent experimental research led by the authors at the ABC Department,
on the environmental assessment of ultra-lightweight materials, based on the LCA
methodology.
Keywords Biopolymers · Technical textiles · Lightweight architecture ·
Eco-efficiency
1 Textile Industry in a Sustainable Bio-economy
The textile industry in Europe over the last ten years has shown distinctive development trends for the general textile and leather goods sector and its specific
technical textiles subdivision (ExportPlanning 2018). Beside almost imperceptible improvements of the main textile sector, consistent European competitiveness
appears in the production of “technical textiles,” created by high-tech value-added
supply chains, such as automotive, geo-textiles, medical, architecture, furniture, and
technical clothing sectors (Fig. 1). The world production of woven and non-woven
A. Zanelli (B) · C. Monticelli · S. Viscuso
Architecture, Built Environment and Construction Engineering—ABC Department, Politecnico di
Milano, Milan, Italy
e-mail: alessandra.zanelli@polimi.it
© The Author(s) 2020
S. Della Torre et al. (eds.), Regeneration of the Built Environment
from a Circular Economy Perspective, Research for Development,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33256-3_25
263