AskNature

Innovation Details

Bryosoil is a modular and multi-functional soil system that uses 3 geometric patterns found in bryophytes to help prevent floods and fight the heat island effect. It catches water from a flooding event and manages it, depending on the risk. It is composed of 3 layers that perform 5 functions: it slows down the flow, redirects it, infiltrates the water into natural soil, harvests stormwater, or evaporates it. These layers replace the existing paradigm of water management that is based on pipe systems.

What problem does the solution solve? Flood risk in urban areas, and obsolescence of water management systems based on pipes that fail to tackle more extreme rain events due climate change. Water cycle disruption, drying of the natural underground water resources, and urban heat island effect caused by impervious hard pavements in cities.

What is the technology and how does it work? BryoSoil is a multifunctional and modular pavement and soil system that uses five geometries found in bryophytes to improve water management in cities as climate change intensifies. BryoSoil is comprised of 3D blocks with the celular patterns found in the ground cover plants of paramos ecosystems, endemic to highlands of south America. By mixing different modules and geometries the system can perform up to 6 functions simultaneously: conduct, slow down, redirect, store, separate and evaporate stormwater.

How it is biomimetic? The design team went to the paramo of Sumapaz in Bogotá, and collected several samples of bryophytes that were analyzed under the scanning electron microscope at PUJ. We conducted a biomimicry research pool analysis to relate four geometries of bryophytes to different functions: the rhombus cell geometry of Thuidium moss and the wavy pattern of Sphagnum moss decreases the flow rate, while this pattern can also change the water course or speed up the flow. Another 3D cluster voided structures dramatically improve the water storage capabilities as the mass/space ratio is optimized. As for capillarity, the long cell grouping geometries of the Campylopus moss is the best.

What is the solution’s impact? BryoSoil can help urban areas prevent floods and fight the heat island effect in a sustainable manner, since the system will not be obsolete as the climate change intensifies and cities expand. Bryomodules bellow ground catch and separate runoff water for infiltration purposes or water reuse as needed. Bryomodules above ground can be filled with recycled pervious materials to create different types of furniture that evaporate water and cool down the city. On top, Bryotiles can be assembled to slow down, conduct or redirect water away from communities at risk. BryoSoil kits are easy to transport and assembly, and can be configured for different flooding risks scenarios.