MATERIALS FOR THE HUMAN HABITAT
a contribution to MRS Bulletin Special Issue on Materials Challenges  of 21st Century


 T.N.Gupta
ExecutiveDirector,BMTPC

 The Materials Research Society of the United States of America (USA) invited the Executive Director of BMTPC, Shri T .N .Gupta to contribute an article on the Materials Challenges for the Next Century for its monthly publication MRS Bulletin. Invitation to contribute an article for MRS Bulletin is a unique distinction for Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council. The article titled "Materials for the Human Habitat" by Mr. T.N.Gupta has appeared in the MRS Bulletin -Vo125 No.4 Apri12000. The article while tracing the development of materials, developed and used by mankind for their housing needs since prehistoric times also highlights the development of traditional materials in modern
times.  These have been classified under widely recognised categories but with particular reference to energy needs and lately emerging environmental concerns. The article provides a holistic view of energy saving possibilities in the manufacture of environment-friendly building materials by utilising renewable raw material resources like agro-industrial wastes

Finally, the article also explores futuristic possibilities of materials and their potential application in sky-scrapers and types of structure likely to dictate nature and performance of materials in next century .The author'points out that the fast changing life styles and emerging concerns in coming decades will demand different types of smart materials and structures. Such applications may call for integrating sensors with building materials and elements. Besides the technology of inflatable structure may find uses in future space exploration and similar pursuits of "mobile homes". The article finally concludes with the statement that "the emerging areas, while capturing the highest pitch of human creativity , will be based on integration of traditional wisdom, scientific and technological developments and innovations in the coming century" .

Readers interested in reading the full-length of the article are advised to visit MRS website http://www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin/21stcen/ for articles on Materials Challenges for the Next Century.