The Sponge

Climate change has made cloud-bursts with subsequent floods more common. In this R&I project, researchers are working to find new ways to capture large amounts of water by placing materials that absorb stormwater in cities. The R&I is conducted based on three main concepts:

• One where the material is placed on surfaces such as parking garages and roofs. Similar to sedum roofs, but with even better absorbency.
• A second where the absorbent material is attached vertically around lampposts, bridge pillars and other existing structures. The capillary force causes the water to be sucked upwards and the material to swell.
• In the third concept, the absorbent material becomes a form of sponge-like installation, which grows during heavy rain.

Sofia Larsson, Robin Andersson, Hans Åkerstedt, Jiri Marsalek, Staffan Lundström och Maria Viklander