Authors

Ignatova Anna M., Ignatov Mikhail N.
PROSPECTS FOR THE USE OF SYNTHETIC MINERAL ALLOYS IN CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURE, LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND IMPROVEMENTS

Architecton: Proceedings of Higher Education №3 (35) September, 2011

Materials used in architecture for humanizing the environment should meet certain requirements. They should be environmentally clean and safe, durable, possess decorative appeal, promote energy and resource conservation, be easily recyclable, and have a low cost.

Traditional materials meet only some of these requirements. Some existing types of seldom-used materials can meet these requirements better than others after some rethinking. The aim of this paper is to explore opportunities for using synminalls as architectural materials.

Synminalls present at group of materials obtained by melting natural stone (rock of basic and ultrabasic nature) or industrial wastes which are similar in composition, for example, blast furnace slag, at a high temperature (1200-1500o С). The process is also known as stone casting technology.

To be applicable in architectural design and development, synminalls should have aesthetic qualities.

Research conducted by the authors has provided synminalls with an extended colour gamut (brown, green, blue, dark blue), and contrasting textures similar to those of natural stone. Synminalls with improved aesthetic qualities are now available for manufacturing facing products and paving elements, architectural elements, sculpture, etc. The wide availability of raw material and lower cost compared with natural stone products suggest that synminalls may find broader application for improvement purposes, for example, in landscape design (in rock gardens), slope stabilization and colourful paving.

Our approach to synminalls encompasses the development of advanced synthesis processes but also a shift from mostly technical applications to aesthetic ones.