A bit like zipping up a coat, this “zipper truck” assembles tunnels and arches by fitting together concrete blocks from both sides, eliminating the need for mortar while also cutting down construction time by up to 90 percent.

The truck component is backed by a system of rollers around a metal core. The locking blocks slide into place as the truck rolls slowly forward, like closing an interlocking zipper. No special joinery is needed, plenty of strength and seismic resistance are achieved and, maybe best of all, the blocks can always be uncoupled later and reused elsewhere.

Used for everything from tunnels and shelters to archways and overpasses, the system is exceedingly fast: 24 hours for a quarter mile of tunnel. Most of the heavy lifting is done by the machine, with workers simply feeding blocks into the system and moving the truck forward.

The post ‘Zipper Truck’ Turns ‘Lego’ Blocks into Tunnel in 24 Hours first appeared on Gajitz.

A company in Germany is offering a win-win solution for any home or office with some spare square footage in their basement: put servers in place and reap radiant heat as well as hot water from them – in some plans, users also get free internet and electricity as a bonus.

Cloud&Heat is one of a number of European companies in the market to trade space for green power, effectively transforming unused everyday spaces into a cloud-like alternative to all-in-one-place data centers, but one of the most advanced at this stage.

Buffering systems are used to store heat so it can be deployed more strategically over time while venting systems are also added to shed excess heat when it is not needed – during summer months, for instance.

There can be additional upfront costs for the user, like creating a fire-safe enclosure for the server systems, but like solar or wind power the initial costs are ultimately offset by heat gain and energy savings overall.

The post Swap Space for Energy: Free Water & Heat from the Cloud first appeared on Gajitz.

Building with Legos is always fun, no matter how old you are. But unless you’re an elite expert builder, all of your creations are blocky and square. That’s still fun, but imagine what you could do if you were as talented as a Japanese builder who goes by Talapz.

Talapz makes incredible pop-up works of Lego art. They start out looking like regular, if quite ornate, boxes built of Lego bricks. But when the maker opens them, they reveal spectacular sculptures. Above, an almost-unbelievable fold-out temple complete with reflecting pools and a pathway to the front door.

The above build, first posted on YouTube in 2009, is modeled on the Kinkaku-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan. After the short demonstration of its movement, the video shows the truly impressive details involved in making the temple fold and unfold inside its case.

This incredible masterpiece shows a scene of a dragon being slayed. The form of the dragon is large and splayed out, making it less stable than the buildings during the folding and unfolding process. Still, the remarkable sculpture holds together and opens up into an amazing battle scene before folding away into a seemingly impossibly small hinged box made of Legos. Check out Talapz’s YouTube channel for all kinds of awesome Lego craziness.

The post Surprise! Intricate LEGO Sculptures Pop Out From Boxes first appeared on Gajitz.

If there are two things that just about every geek loves, they are LEGOs and vintage technology. Talented designer Chris McVeigh combines the two into some very cool little sculptures that we have already added to our Christmas wish lists.

From analog phones to Polaroid cameras and early Apple computers, McVeigh expertly fits together the little blocks to create some very realistic miniature replicas.

McVeigh designs all of the models himself. As if that weren’t enough to give us geeky shivers, he photographs them all himself as well.

For fellow LEGO enthusiasts, McVeigh offers plans for all of his creations for free on his website. And if you don’t happen to have a dream stash of LEGO blocks just sitting around your house, he also sells build kits including all of the parts you need to make these magnificent little figures.

The post LEGO Crazy: Awesome Blocky Replicas of Retro Technology first appeared on Gajitz.

Shelter is a basic human need, but we often overlook the means we use to obtain that need. The construction industry is accountable for “40% of global carbon dioxide emissions,” according to bioMason, a company that has a very unique way to cut back on those emissions.

The biotech start-up company has come up with a way to ‘grow’ bricks from naturally abundant materials like bacteria. A winner of the Cradle to Cradle Innovation Challenge, their method of employing these microorganisms is stated that “Bacteria, which provide a precise environment to form in combination with a nutrient, nitrogen and calcium source allow for the formation of natural cement in ambient temperatures, taking less than five days to produce a pre-cast material.”

The beauty of this technology is that instead of building materials being created in super-heated environments like kilns, where carbon emissions are heavily released, they’re grown in ambient temperatures. bioMason has developed a business model that would license their methods to existing masonry manufacturers.

The post Biotech Company Grows Its Own Bricks With Bacteria first appeared on Gajitz.