5. Conclusions

The aim of this dossier was to provide an overview of the building and urban planning sectors in which innovations linked to the development of NT and the use of NM are expected or already in use. At the end of this overview, it appears that, contrary to what is sometimes a rather hasty opinion, this world reputed to be rustic is already, and will be even more so in the near future, a field of application for these technologies and materials. This primarily concerns energy saving and management, thermohydric comfort, aesthetic and health aspects, maintenance and environmental quality. Other areas, such as concrete itself or road materials, will also be the focus of advances stemming from NT and NM, but this affects civil engineering in particular and will be discussed elsewhere.

Given the sheer volume of materials used, and our almost constant contact with the built...