Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 2

Housing development in Ontario's far north is limited, in particular, by the scarcity of in-situ building materialsand the resulting cost prohibitive use of materials shipped in from southern Ontario. This project explores theuse of indigenous Peat (Sphagnum) as an aggregate in cemented peat construction blocks. The research teamaims to perfect a mixture of peat, cement and binders to create a viable construction product. If proven viable,the industry partners Rainbow Concrete Ltd. and Sustainable Building and Energy Consultants Inc. plan tocommercialize the product and manufacturing method. It will represent a truly unique scientific advancementin the field of civil engineering and a significant technical advancement in the Canadian building materialssector. The vastness of the potential economic benefits for such a project can be easily imagined as the peat inthe Hudson Bay Lowlands represent the largest continuous peat reserve in the world and the market trends inbuilding materials is booming and beginning to favor green concrete products. The companies will have theopportunity to scale-up the method to an industrial manufacturing process for the production, distribution andsale of peat-based building blocks. The industry partner has also expressed interest in opening a fabricationfacility in or adjacent to peat reserves in the far north.