Jose Cuervo, Dole, Crocs bump up biobased products and more: The Digest’s Top 8 Innovations for the week of July 29th

#4 Spun-flax pavilion strong enough to comply with German building codes

In Germany, a multidisciplinary team from the Universities of Freiburg and Stuttgart has created a load-bearing structure using robotically wound flax fiber.

The pavilion, dubbed livMatS, combines 15 components comprised of flax fiber, including a truss structure, corner reinforcements, and structural bracing. It is 100% renewable and weighs one and a half tons. A polycarbonate skin provides waterproofing and protects the flax from the sun’s rays. The group says it even complies with Germany building codes.

The pavilion will remain for five years, acting as an outdoor lecture space and demonstrating the potential for renewable fibers in construction.

More on the story, here.