Dredged sediment and wastewater provide ingredients for new building bricks
(Photo: Kaumera)
16 September 2026 – Researchers working on the MUDIS project are investigating whether sediment dredged from harbours can be turned into building bricks. They are using Kaumera, a biobased material recovered during wastewater treatment, as a binding agent.
Harbours must be dredged regularly to keep navigation channels and basins sufficiently deep. This produces large quantities of sediment. Rather than disposing of this material, Delft University of Technology, the Port of Rotterdam and several partners are exploring its potential as a construction resource.
The researchers combine sediment with Kaumera and test the resulting bricks for strength and other properties. Their aim is to develop a building product that requires fewer virgin raw materials, less cement or fewer energy-intensive firing processes.
Potential applications include facade bricks, partition walls and dike reinforcement. During the next research phase, the new bricks will be compared with conventional bricks in terms of strength, cost and carbon emissions. Initial results are expected in February 2027.
