Concrete alternative modular panels: designed for deconstruction

As the construction industry inevitably marches toward a net-zero and circular economy future, a Canadian-based manufacturer of concrete alternative modular panels appears to be considerably closer to that destination than its competitors.

Headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, Nexii was founded by brothers Michael and Ben Dombowsky were aware of the waste and inefficiencies inherent in contemporary methods of construction.

They invested years of research and development into the creation of the Nexii System, and according to company sources, Ben’s invention of Nexiite, a high-performance material that enables Nexii Panels to be strong, lightweight, low-carbon, and fire and water resistant, was a key innovation in bringing the modular panel system to life.

On a 65 sqm test showroom and model home built utilising their modular panels, the projects deconstruction, for rebuilding in a new location, generated only two buckets of waste.

ABOVE: Installation of Nexii modular panels.

Their modular panel-based construction system with their concrete alternative, Nexiite, produces approximately 35% lower carbon emissions than conventional concrete.
They were able to deconstruct the showroom in six days, saving almost every part of the building for future reconstruction.

Their modular panels don’t use Portland cement, which is a major source of emissions worldwide. The company’s building panels are designed to be continuously reused, with assembly simply requiring craning the pieces onto a foundation and bolting them together.

Watch CNCB Television news report on Nexii here:

Interestingly, the waste produced from the showroom’s disassembly comprised of only sealant used to connect the panels, small sections of weatherproofing, “a couple of screws,” and some waste generated by the people onsite.

The building will be reassembled next month in Saltspring Island, British Columbia and used as a guest house.

Nexii has built projects for the likes of Popeyes (fried chicken) and Starbucks and is currently working with Marriott hotels. They have also partnered with companies like Siemens and Honeywell to provide building materials for net-zero industrial facilities.

See: www.nexii.com

CLICK HERE to return to the home page for more articles.