3D printing machines can build up to 40 percent of homes during the construction process and save labor costs. Using 3D printing to build homes provides numerous benefits, including decreasing construction time due to the machine’s efficiency. During the process, concrete is extruded from a large machine into layers that form the home’s walls, foundation, and footing. While the machine is printing, it requires little supervision or staff on the site, which prevents injuries and saves workers’ compensation costs.
Currently, synthetic fibers and polymers are being used in 3D printing. However, Auburn University will accelerate the utilization of bio-based fibers for 3D-printed homes. Auburn University will focus on bio-resin development as a feedstock for 3D printing, done at Idaho. This process will include the conversion of biomass into chemicals and nanomaterials to help improve the sustainability of the resin. The project will also investigate the environmental impact of conventional concrete and steel used in the construction of traditional buildings, in comparison with tall timber buildings, which emit only one-third to one-half of the greenhouse gases traditional materials emit.
The proposed interdisciplinary project, “Developing a Circular Bio-Based Framework For Architecture, Engineering and Construction Through Additive Manufacturing,” targets what is called the Advanced Manufacturing Industry of the Future. An interdisciplinary project connecting several Auburn University (Ala., U.S.) faculty and fellow scientists seeks to make strides in future advanced manufacturing, including developing affordable homes constructed via 3D printing. The study, which spans the disciplines of engineering, chemistry, forest resources, and architecture, also draws strongly upon the expertise of scientists at its partner institution, the University of Idaho (Moscow), with Michael Maughan, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, at the helm.
