Knitted roads

Conventional methods for road construction employ dirty and carbon-intensive sealers and binders to create a solid surface. But a new method developed by at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology uses robotic assembly to create a complex web of fibers that lock gravel into place. Tracing out "a series of elaborate patterns" using fiber made from recycled textile reinforced with polyester, gravel is tamped down into place in layers, capturing the stones and creating a strong structure. Surfaces built this way are also porous, allowing rainwater to penetrate the ground underneath and reducing flooding.

This points towards a future where road surfaces can be less damaging and more durable than in the past, as well as potentially sequestering carbon in recycled materials.