Austrian hook-and-loop fastener to cut building repair costs

Scientists at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria have developed an innovative hook-and-loop fastening system designed to reduce construction waste and facilitate easier building repairs and adaptations. Inspired by Velcro, this 3D-printed fastener incorporates mushroom-shaped hooks directly into building components such as concrete, wood, or paper-based materials, enabling secure yet reversible connections. This allows structural elements like floors, interior walls, and installations to be swapped or upgraded without demolition, significantly extending a building’s service life and reducing material consumption. The fastener has demonstrated tensile strength comparable to industrial fasteners in laboratory tests, with future production methods like injection molding or stamped metal expected to enhance performance further. Primarily intended for indoor use on non-load-bearing walls and components housing wiring or plumbing, the system supports more sustainable construction practices by enabling selective replacement of worn or outdated parts. Complementing this, the ReCon project team also developed a digital tagging system using embedded RFID chips and QR codes to track material composition and installation data