SABIC displays innovative construction composites at World Economic Forum

SABIC is displaying the potential of its composite materials at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by rebuilding a custom house for the second year.

The Innovation in the Circular Economy House, known as the ICEhouse, is intended to present ways of building in closed-loop carbon systems. It was designed by architect William McDonough to show the World Economic Forum a house reassembled from modular pieces.

SABIC is using the Davos summit, where global business chiefs and policy makers are gathered, to display its latest innovations in fibre and plastic composite materials for use in structures and floor panels, emphasising their durability and safety with reduced weight.

The Saudi chemical company is keen to promote its LEXAN sheeting for walls, ceilings and rooves. It has introduced a nanogel filling to the sheeting to improve energy conservation, and the plastic composite floor panels are half the weight of wooden alternatives. The panels are waterproof and therefore do not decay, increasing lifetime of the flooring.

Ernesto Occhiello, Executive Vice President of Specialities at SABIC, said: “What matters to us is working with architects and designers in the conceptual phase of a project so we can provide them with materials that help them do what they once thought to be impossible. Through technology and material science we can enable them to design to meet the fundamental needs that have a fundamental impact to people - at home, in nutrition, healthcare and transportation.”

Yousef Al-Benyan, SABIC’s CEO, added: “Through this innovative building we are exhibiting materials that utilise carbon in a positive way. SABIC solutions can open up a world of new possibilities for designers with their strong, lightweight, and durable properties.

“The impact of these new materials will be felt far beyond the world of architecture, bringing benefits to designers in industries as diverse as electronics, healthcare and aerospace.”

Up to the Davos gathering the ICEhouse was displayed at the Schiphol Trade Park near Amsterdam in Holland, a site dedicated to furthering research on the circular economy.