Lego inspired by children’s toys attracted interest from Europe for concrete

Associate Professor Murat Gökçe and his wife Sonnur Gökçe, a chemical engineer, developed ballistic lego concrete inspired by a toy they bought for their children at Amasya University, which has attracted interest from Europe following their project. A type of lego concrete that can withstand anti-aircraft bullets and high heat, and seismic activity was developed, and the first house was easily constructed. In addition to negotiations for a dealership with a company from Europe, the couple is also planning to design earthquake escape shelters from legos, encouraged by demands coming from within the country.
Stopping anti-aircraft bullets, the Gökçe couple, who started from toys called ‘Lego’ made up of parts that fit together without the need for any assembly, produced lego concrete proven to be resistant even to high-power weapons. Modular ballistic lego concrete was tested by soldiers, successfully stopping a 14.5 mm anti-aircraft bullet in front of the system without any protection.
The roof of the house was also made of legos. The system, which can be disassembled and moved to another location in defense industry, garrisons, and positions, can also be applied in residential buildings. A vineyard house entirely made of lego concrete was built in Saraycık Mahallesi, Ziyaret beldesi, connected to the center of Amasya. The vault-shaped roof where the arches meet was also formed from legos.
“Build your own home”. Associate Professor Gökçe, stating that the system is ideal for safe housing, said, “We started the ‘build your own home with insulated lego concrete’ application. A father and son can build their homes in a few days without requiring any binder or expert craftsmanship. We reduced the weight of this product, which is 35 kilos for defense industry, by half. Also, the roof system is made of legos.
A dealership process has started with a European Union country. Gökçe, a faculty member at Amasya University Faculty of Architecture Building Information Department, stated that there is an increasing demand for the product from abroad. “We started to receive requests for dealerships from abroad. Our dealership process with a European Union country is ongoing. A company has contacted us very eagerly. Citizens who want to build their own homes in the country are in touch with us,” she said.
“Inspired by a children’s toy”. Sonnur Gökçe, a chemical engineer, mentioned that they brought to life the project they put great effort into, inspired by the legos their children play with. She said, “First, we made concrete toy molds from lego. Then, we evaluated that this could be used in the construction field by enlarging it. Hopefully, we will achieve favorable results.”
With walls made of lego concrete, the owner of a vineyard house will have earthquake-resistant walls that can keep the environment cool in hot weather and warm in cool weather. Associate Professor Okan Murat Dede pointed out that the system can be used in mining tunnels.