Industry tackles climate change with wood, Lego-style bricks, new materials

The problem of stolen manhole covers in Turkey might seem an unlikely starting point for a new way for buildings to withstand earthquakes and tackle the construction industry’s environmental issues, but when a Turkish businessman heard about a new material that prevented the thefts, it sparked an idea.

Cast iron is traditionally used to make the manhole covers that protect drainage systems. But back in 2010, a spate of thefts of the covers for scrap metal in Turkey meant that an alternative, with equally strong material needed to be used to secure them. And when Engin Yesil read about this super-strong composite in news reports, he wondered whether it could be used to construct buildings that were able to withstand earthquakes — a significant risk in Turkey.

Yesil began manufacturing the composite, known as Renco (short for “renewable composite”) consisting of up to 40% repurposed materials including resin and fiberglass. Since 2011 more than 200 buildings in Turkey have been built using Renco blocks, which fit together like Lego bricks and are secured with glue.

Yesil wondered whether Renco had potential in the U.S., and after more than a decade of research and testing, Renco was used to build an apartment complex in Palm Springs in 2023.

Along with being able to withstand catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes (the highest rating on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale and an increasing phenomenon due to climate change), Renco claims to be greener than other building materials. The construction sector is “by far” the largest emitter of greenhouse gases of any sector, according to a 2023 U.N. report, making up 37% of global emissions.

Renco weighs about 80% less than concrete, meaning more of it can be transported per truck, and also has 82% less embodied carbon than structural steel, according to a report by the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute commissioned by Renco. Embodied carbon refers to the emissions released during the manufacturing, transportation and disposal of building materials.

Renco is also 100% recyclable, according to Patrick Murphy, managing director of Renco USA. He said the new composite marks a step-change in building materials. “In construction, there’s basically three ways to build, right? You have concrete, steel and wood, and that’s basically been the same thing for 100 years … so this is really the fourth way to build that’s been approved,” he told CNBC by video call.

This year, Renco will begin manufacturing in the U.S. for the first time, with a Florida factory opening in the coming weeks that can produce enough building blocks for around 9,000 average-sized apartments.

As with other materials used in construction, Renco isn’t without an environmental impact, with blocks currently shipped from Turkey to the U.S. while the Florida factory is being completed. And, while Renco’s Turkish manufacturing…