Researchers at the University of Maine have managed to 3D print an organic building material with the strength of steel.
The SM2ART Nfloor is printed as a single piece in about 30 hours, which is a third faster than building something comparable by hand, according to Oak Ridge Laboratory in a post on TechXplore.
The nice thing about this setup is that these panels can be printed in bulk off-site and get shipped to the construction area. Since there are already channels in the floor for electrical and plumbing, the only other thing that needs to be applied by hand is soundproofing and floor covering.
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The Nfloor's material is a bioplastic made of a "formulation of polylactic acid, or PLA, which is a biodegradable thermoplastic-polyester bioplastic derived from corn residue and wood flour made from the waste of lumber processing," according to Oak Ridge. PLA is a common material in 3D printing and fully biodegradable. PLA can also be effectively recycled to be used again when needed.
The researchers said Nfloor has the dual benefits of a graceful end of life and highly scalable production. When affordable housing is a real challenge across the world, it's important to be able to provide solutions that speed up construction. Work on the Nfloor is ongoing, including fire retardant improvements.
"The next steps will be to make the manufacturing process faster, more efficient and cost-effective with additional functionality," said Scott Tomlinson, structural engineer with the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center, per TechXplore. "This technology holds a lot of promise for the future of sustainable buildings."
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The researchers had previously put together a demo home using similar 3D printing techniques.
While 3D printing is gradually getting more use in construction, we've seen loads of exciting developments using the technology. A new resin type is showing promise for improved recyclability, new 3D-printed metal can provide improvements in aviation, and 3D-printed monoliths can extract toxins from water.
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