Researchers have developed a fast, robot-assisted printing process for earth materials that does not require cement.
Entire houses can be built from clay or excavated earth. The material is cheap, abundant, and sustainable as it does not require cement.
However, existing building methods are very labor-intensive, slow, and expensive.
The new process could help change that.
In what is known as “impact printing,” a robot shoots material from above, gradually building a wall. On impact, the parts bond together, and very minimal additives are required.
Unlike concrete 3D printing, the process does not require any pauses during which the material can solidify. A mixture of excavated materials, silt, and clay is currently used.
Source: ETH Zurich
