Interlocking Modular Insulation Panels Manufactured with Mediterranean Pinewood and Cork

Abstract

Economic profitability of harvested softwood in Southwestern Europe is limited for low quality logs. Some social and environmental consequences of low incomes of rural activities are rural depopulation and accumulation of biomass in unmanaged forests. The energy efficiency of buildings could be improved as construction material employing local bioresources that are currently used to manufacture products of low added value. Here, the IMIP project (Innovative Eco-Construction System Based on Interlocking Modular Insulation Wood & Cork-Based Panels) aimed to support the change towards a low carbon economy using bioproducts (pinewood and cork) for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth with a special focus on the public construction sector is presented. The main objective of the IMIP project is to design, validate and implement an innovative ecological construction system based on natural biological materials to improve energy efficiency in public buildings from the construction, use and demolition phases. The project also develops a tool to professionals from the construction sector (architects and engineers) and researchers to assess the carbon footprint of buildings. The products of the project have the ambition to improve the economic, social and environmental situation of rural areas of Southwestern Europe.