Smart construction materials for ambient modification of built environments

Abstract

A smart construction material, structural element and method for improving the physical and psychological well-being of occupants through thermally-enhanced and extra-sensory additive integration. The construction material includes a cementitious matrix with a distributed network of bioinspired additives, including at least one thermally-active component and at least one sensory-active component. The thermally-active component provides an increased specific heat capacity and at least a 15% reduction in thermal conductivity compared to a standard mortar. The sensory-active component is configured to provide extra-sensory features, such as bioluminescence or color adaptation, to mitigate psychological distress in a built environment. The structural element maintains a compressive strength of approximately 25 MPa or greater. The manufacturing method includes preparing a dry mix of binder and aggregate, incorporating the bioinspired additives at a controlled shear speed to prevent mechanical rupture, and adding a liquid activator to form a wet mortar for curing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.