3D Printed Biodigital Clay Bricks (Sustainable, Durable and Elastic Clay Bricks)
The 3D printed Biodigital Clay Bricks are digitally designed following a reaction-diffusion and shortest path algorithms extracted from the hydrophilic nature of clay to guarantee the best mechanical properties and structural efficiency of these bricks with the minimum material consumption through controlled deposition-3D printing. They are the first durable and elastic clay bricks designed to provide niches for bio receptivity, thermal and acoustical insulation, and mechanical resistance.
Local
Spain
Catalunya. Barcelona
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
No
No
Yes
2022-10-05
As an individual in partnership with other persons
First name: Alberto Last name: Estevez Gender: Male Nationality: Spain Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: carrer de La Immaculada 22 Town: BARCELONA Postal code: 08017 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+34 653 14 14 30 E-mail:estevez@uic.es Website:http://geneticarchitectures.weebly.com/
First name: YOMNA Last name: ABDALLAH Gender: Female Nationality: Egypt Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: carrer de La Immaculada 22 Town: BARCELONA Postal code: 08017 Country: Spain Direct Tel:+34 692 57 13 87 E-mail:yomnaabdallah@uic.es Website:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Yomna-Abdallah
The 3D Printed Biodigital Clay Bicks aims to change the conventional construction industry processes and materials, towards more implementation of advanced digital technologies that are 3D printed on a domestic scale and a collaborative mode for the rapid, digitally controlled, and cheap construction process. in this process the material consumption is minimized by the precise digital control in the controlled material deposition 3D printed and thanks to the biodigital design that moves away from conventional bulky rigid and limited forms bricks to more visually appealing, lighter weight, lesser in material consumption, enhanced mechanical properties and bio receptive bricks. the biodigital design processes involved simulation of the reaction-diffusion biochemical mathematical pattern of liquid diffusion in clay, to estimate which are the latest points to absorb the liquid and by connecting these points with the shortest path algorithm, an enhanced mechanical and structural performance is achieved as well as less material is consumed in the production process. the efficiency of the proposed bricks was proved by the different mechanical tests that proved that the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks outweighs the conventional standard clay bricks in compressive strength as well as achieving for the first time elasticity in clay brick. the results were published in two papers in a Q2 Architecture Design and Sustainability Journal (https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics6040059; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics7040159). Furthermore, the brick has been tested for bio receptivity and proved that the provided niches in each biodigital brick design boost the bio receptivity of the bricks for various algal and moss species to inhabit them. thanks to the porous and humid nature of clay material as well. The bricks are currently tested for thermal and acoustical insulation showing positive results that will be revealed soon in a following publication as well.
Sustainability
Circular Production/ economy
3D printing
Bio receptivity
Clay Architecture
- Sustainability through controlled material deposition: less material consumption of clay as a sustainable material. Achieved by the designed forms and 3D printing fabrication technology.
- Sustainability through collaborative, circular production and construction processes: the bricks are produced by affordable and available clay 3D printers or modified desktop paste extruder 3D printers, which proposes an alternative to the centralized production of clay bricks in the construction industry.
- Sustainability through boosting biodiversity: achieved by providing multiple niches for plants and microalgae to inhabit them and produce oxygen, vegetation or vegetables, and fruits.
-Sustainability through enhanced mechanical properties and structural efficiency: achieved through the reaction-diffusion and shortest path algorithms that generated forms proved their mechanical competence by exceeding the compressive strength of conventional standard bulk or perforated clay bricks. proving the biodigital clay bricks' durability, strength, and elasticity which make them perfect for earthquake resistance architecture.
-Sustainability through enhanced acoustical and thermal insulation: achieved by the porous curve-linear forms of the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks.
- Sustainability in social well-being by addressing human emotional and mental health boosting through biophilia and the integrated vegetation and biodiversity within the bio-receptive bricks.
- The Project can be exemplary of a sustainable integrated solution of achieving a shift to a de-centralized circular construction industry, reduced material consumption, enhanced mechanical and structural efficiency, the enhanced environment of interior space through thermal and acoustic insulation, boosted biodiversity and ecosystem preservation by bio-receptivity of greenery and enhanced aesthetics of the built environment through dynamic flowing forms of the bricks.
(Abdallah and Estévez, 2021; 2022).
- Achieving environmental responsibility and biophilia through the bioinspired and bio-learned biomathematical patterns in designing bricks that act as bio-receptive surfaces that host green vegetation and integrate biodiversity as an intrinsic and inherent characteristic of architecture and the built environment.
- (Naturally beautiful): The biomathematical pattern following the reaction-diffusion algorithm that is considered a general mathematical pattern found in almost any biochemical reaction in nature (in animal skin prints (Zebra, Giraffe, Tiger, etc), as a Turing mechanism that describes the emergence of spatial patterns due to spontaneous symmetry breaking in reaction-diffusion processes and underlies many developmental processes. These reaction-diffusion patterns with their natural references are inherently visually appealing and beautiful as well as being in harmony with nature.
(Light-Shade Rhythm): Furthermore, their curvilinear forms and their multiple coils in their thickness direction create a light-shadow rhythm that adds dynamism to the visual effect of the architectural facade due to the changing angle of light with time causing the variance in the visual conception of an architectural facade, or wall made of these bricks.
- (Variations and Permutations): Furthermore, the 3D-printed biodigital clay bricks include 3 different families with a manipulated pattern of reaction-diffusion, as well as each family, includes bulk and a linear design of the brick, which enables variations and permutations in arranging each family alone (with its bulk and linear brick designs that each of them can have different orientations horizontal or vertical along different axes), or with the other families which gives rise to endless possibilities of form variations and more complex forms generated by this three reaction-diffusion patterns.
- (De-centralized circular economy): The main objective of the project is to create a shift from the conventional construction industry that employs mass production of clay bricks in a capitalized way, where only factories are the main source of these bricks, to a more de-centralized circular-based industry, where average users with affordable clay printers ranging in price from 1500 to 4000 euros, and very cheap or free clay materials, can produce their own bricks by 3D printing from various array of adobe-based materials.
- (Promote Eco-Biomaterials research and development): This will promote research in adobe-based material development on a more domestic and personalized scale. which will raise the environmental awareness of eco-materials and understanding of the concept of the material life cycle and the methodology and technicalities behind it.
- (Enhance the cultural and aesthetical taste of the mainstream): As well as being an exemplar for personalized and customized design of bricks and other architectural elements that can be composed of parts (e.g., columns or furniture) on a domestic scale. which will promote design testing and customization going hand in hand with spreading knowledge of managing digital fabrication tools, especially 3D printers. this will lead to a maker community with the tools and technologies of our time (the digital tools), which is starting already to spread across different geographical regions and countries.
- furthermore, the project aims to boost the collaborative and social-cultural acts for ¨united for Making/building¨ which will provide a methodology of de-centralized high precision mass production of bricks or architectural elements based on spreading the digital design and digital fabrication (3D printing) tools mastering, that every person can manage easily. this will return the concept of making in replace the consumer culture of buying. and will raise social solidarity and interaction in case of emergencies.
The Project was conducted on a domestic level through design/ fabrication collaboration between an academic entity which is Institute for Biodigital Architecture and Genetics and a domestic fabricator entity which is Noumena, La Maquina. the project was fabricated by Clay 3D printing using Delta WASP 3D Printer, Clay line, where the first patch of the 3D printed Biodigital Clay bricks was printed.
This first patch was tested for mechanical properties by the specialized material properties Laboratory at the Polytechnique University of Catalunya UPC, to test the geometrical design effect on the mechanical properties. the results revealed that the 3D-printed biodigital clay bricks family V1 achieved significantly enhanced compressive strength in comparison to the standard conventional clay bricks with their bulk and perforated models. Furthermore, the tested biodigital clay bricks exhibited high elasticity behavior, which qualifies them as perfect structural bricks for earthquake resistance architecture.
-Moreover, thanks to their thermal and acoustical insulation the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and reduce the amount of required energy for heating or cooling the interior space of a building.
-Since they offer niches for diverse species of birds, animals (e.g., squirrels), plants, and algae to inhabit them, they contribute to preserving biodiversity which increases significantly the mental and emotional health of the occupants of these buildings, as proved in numerous studies about biophilia effect on building occupants mental health and productivity (Araya León et al., 2022), in a way that these biodigital clay bricks brings the vivid face of nature to their built environment.
- the knowledge exchange and social-cultural positive interaction in the proposed de-centralized production method of the bricks, increases the social-cultural richness and solidarity in times of emergencies and crisis.
The following Academic and industrial entities were collaborating in the design, production, and testing of the 3D printed Biodigital Clay Bricks (3DPBDCB)
- (local: in Barcelona, Spain) iBAG. UIC: Institute for Biodigital Architecture and Genetics at the International University of Catalunya, Spain, Member of the New European Bauhaus, and the Genetic Architectures office was responsible for the digital design, study, analysis, and optimization of the 3DPBDCB. this process included developing the reaction-diffusion simulation algorithms and shortest path algorithm, and the material digital simulation conducted in Rhinoceros 3D+ Grasshopper+ Kangaroo. iBAG was also responsible for designing the tests and analysis study and reporting it in the two mentioned publications (Abdallah & Estevez 2021; Estevez & Abdallah 2022).
- (local in Barcelona/regional: the highest ranked university in Catalunya, Spain): CATMech-Litem research group (ESEIAAT School, UPC): This academic entity was responsible for the mechanical and structural tests of the 3DPBDCB including Compressive strength, and Elasticity tests. The tests achieved that the V1 design family of the 3DPBDCB exceeded the compressive strength of a conventional standard clay brick either bulk or perforated model. which introduced novel concepts of designing and fabricating clay bricks in a more sustainable and efficient method.
- (National: located in Barcelona Spain /European: integrated into many collaborations with various European entities) Noumena. La Maquina: this private industrial entity was responsible for the 3D printing process and drying/firing of the 3DPBDCB. This was conducted by the controlled material deposition 3d printing process with Delta Wasp clay printers to print 12 bricks/batch.
the collaboration with these entities guaranteed the creditability and validity of the process and the obtained results. since each of them is an expert in the specific role that they contributed to in this project.
Bio learning/ Biomathematical patterns /Material Chemical physical properties: this discipline included extracting from the material own physical and chemical properties the pattern formation logic. This was conducted by observing the reaction-diffusion process that happens in clay as a hydrophilic material and through the application of Partial differential equations of the used reaction-diffusion model, a simulation was conducted to generate the reaction-diffusion pattern of liquid in a 3d volume of clay (as the brick size).
Digital design and scripting: the application of the reaction-diffusion simulation and resulting patterns (diagrams) and the later connecting these diagrams by using the shortest path algorithm required deep knowledge and mastering the digital, parametric, and algorithmic aided design tools either in Rhino 3d+ Grasshopper or other plugins as Kangaroo and Python.
Material properties: designing the mechanical and structural tests of the bricks to identify their mechanical properties and structural performance in comparison to the already existing standard clay bricks required knowledge and understanding of physical forces and their estimation as compressive and tensile strength, elasticity, and all their related variables.
Digital Fabrication (3d printing) experience and mastering the use of these tools since optimizing the design for digital fabrication by 3D printing requires a good understanding of the methodology of fabrication (for example watertight model, infill pattern, estimation of layer height and width in relation to clay material properties of shape-retention post printing while considering the controlled (reduced) material deposition, as well as adjusting 3d printing sittings for smooth printing process).
Biotechnology and Microbiology Knowledge: The bio receptivity of the proposed 3DPBDCB required an understanding of how to achieve bio receptivity in various configurations of the 3DPBDCB for various plants and microbes.
-First of all the project has achieved a reduction in material consumption since it applied the controlled material deposition. the material consumption was reduced between 5 to 25% per each biodigital clay brick in comparison to the conventional standard clay brick. This reduction in material consumption along with the affordability and availability of clay 3D printers that can be also developed from domestically modified FDM 3D printers turning them into paste printers with prices starting from (300 euros), this have enabled the adoption of the proposed de-centralized construction and clay bricks production process on a domestic individual scale.
-The best compressive strength was recorded by the V1 linear and bulk model enduring up to 240 N without collapsing, exceeding the conventional clay bricks. while the V3 linear model was the most potent in elasticity which qualifies it to be the first elastic clay brick suitable for earthquake-resistance buildings.
Second, the two published studies in an indexed journal have achieved a high impact considering their daily reviews and citations as well as inspiring similar projects of 3D printed clay bricks, especially in terms of the adoption of bio receptivity.
Third, the published studies have also highlighted the role of geometry alone in achieving competent mechanical and structural efficiency. This has drawn more attention from structural engineers and material experts to focus on this aspect in future research and applications in the construction industry.
Forth, establishing integrated design solutions that include all possible merits of sustainable material, environmental and social responsibility, reduced material consumption, circular economy, social integration, sharing knowledge, biodiversity and eco-friendly designs, thermal and acoustical insulation, enhanced mechanical properties and structural efficiency, and adequacy for emergency situations as natural disasters (earthquakes) or conflict zones.
The project has three main innovative aspects:
First: the proposal of de-centralized personalized domestic production of 3D printed Clay bricks using simple digital design tools and affordable 3D printers. which is establishing the concept of a society of makers, and facilitates the spread and adoption of technological advancement in the construction and building industry.
Second: The Proposed bio-behavioral forms that emerged from digital design and simulation of intrinsic physio-chemical characteristics of clay as a hydrophilic material, through the reaction-diffusion and the shortest path algorithms that produced visually and aesthetically appealing forms that are coherent and following the material's own logic, which adds to the competent value of the proposed 3D printed biodigital clay bricks as a substitute of the conventional clay bricks.
Third: the mechanical strength and structural efficiency achieved by the unique forms of the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks that consume up to 25% less material than the conventional standard clay bricks while achieving higher compressive strength enduring until 250 N without collapsing exceeding the conventional clay bricks that collapse at 200 N.
Fourth: the integrated multi-scale sustainability solution where the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks achieve less material consumption, enhanced compressive strength, first elastic clay bricks, bio receptivity, thermal and acoustical insulation, lightweight, ease of design and fabrication, de-centralized construction industry, transfer of knowledge, social solidarity, and aesthetical appeal.
when comparing these innovative aspects to other projects of developing clay tiles or panels, the main unique competent value is the enhanced mechanical and structural efficiency based only and solely on form and geometrical design. while achieving controlled material deposition for less consumption and achieving light weight.
The project approach was triggered by the construction industry's paralysis during the COVID pandemic general and global lockdown between 2020 and 2022. This crisis and similar (e.g., zones of conflict or extreme environments) have alarmed the attention of the authors to search for an alternative that is based on a decentralized method for building and construction depending on digital design and fabrication tools that became recently more affordable and reach of many social classes in various countries. Furthermore, the project equally addresses the sustainability goals ( 9:industry, innovation, and infrastructures: which were achieved by proposing structurally and mechanically efficient geometry with less material consumption, 11: Sustainable cities and communities: which was achieved by eco-friendly de-centralized digital fabrication as the future of construction industry, 12: responsible consumption and production: which was achieved by using controlled material deposition 3D printing and digitally design the efficient geometry of the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks to reduce material consumption and reduce the Co2 footprint, 13: climate action: that was achieved by proposing de-centralized production, 15: Life on land; by proposing bio receptivity of the 3DPBDCB to boost biodiversity and restore natural elements in the built environment and 17: Partnership for the goals that was achieved by collaboration with experts in academia and industry to fabricate, test and optimize the project.
the design approach depended on digital simulation of the hydrophilic nature of clay that was translated to reaction-diffusion and shortest path algorithms to produce the forms of the bricks. the designs were optimized for 3d printing and were tested for their mechanical strength and elasticity. Thus, the experimental methodology was applied to test the generated forms of the bricks and optimize them and prove the hypothesis of less material and increased efficiency.
The project is designed to be easily transferred and replicated in all its aspects. since it was also tested for printability and for mechanical properties to prove its efficiency and the possible replication of it on an unlimited scale worldwide. The following aspects identify the elements that can be replicated and transferred of the proposed 3d printed biodigital clay bricks:
1. the de-centralized domestic production method of 3D printed clay bricks, thanks to the availability and affordability of clay printers or domestically modified paste extruder printers. As well as the cheap or almost free material of clay or other similar adobe-based materials that are abundant worldwide. This implies that clay bricks industry stakeholders, as well as individuals, can adopt producing the biodigital clay bricks by collaborative 3D printing without the need of mass scale production lines with their high price machinery.
2. the proposed optimized and customized geometrical design of the 3d printed biodigital clay bricks that achieve less material consumption and enhanced mechanical properties with added values of bio receptivity, thermal and acoustical insulations can be transferred easily to other stakeholders, and groups of beneficiaries or even individuals by various methods and according to various modes of sharing or transferring copyrighted materials (e.g., Open source platforms, Freemium models, etc).
3. Since the 3D printed biodigital clay bricks are from clay which is abundant and easy to harness and process all over the world with very affordable prices or for free, the proposed method of de-centralized domestic clay bricks production is available for different countries in Europe and worldwide as well.
4. the clay or paste-extruder 3D printers are easy to handle and operate by average users, which boosts the possibility of transferring the knowledge and technology of the 3D printing process of the clay bricks and other clay objects as well.
- The project addresses the global challenge of climate change and resources and materials depletion. this is addressed by a transferable model of de-centralized responsible production processes that are applied as local solutions in Barcelona, Spain where the project is executed while being able to be applied elsewhere all over the world. The de-centralized production method of the 3d printed biodigital clay bricks has the following points as the impact on the local community:
1. Transferring the cutting-edge knowledge and technology of digital design and fabrication by introducing the adoption of 3d printing in a collaborative domestic mode, boosting Social collaboration for production and building sustainable cities.
2. Clay is an abundant eco-friendly material that can be harnessed, processed, and calibrated easily all over the world. it is also a cheap material that does not require long or pollutant processing procedures.
3. the controlled material deposition 3D printing method proposed in the current study reduces the consumption of the used material in the 3D printing process, in more sustainable and responsible production processes to give a model in addressing directly the global challenge of resources and materials depletion.
4. Conserving biodiversity by introducing bio receptivity as an intrinsic characteristic of the built environment, by introducing these 3D printed bio-receptive clay bricks that their multi-coiled forms provide abundant niches for vegetation and multiple flora and fauna species in inhabit them.
5. Enhancing human mental and emotional welfare by addressing biophilia through introducing these bio-receptive bricks that will host various species of vegetation and greenery.
6. Reducing the stress on electricity and energy demanded heating/cooling the interior spaces of the buildings by the proposed 3D printed biodigital clay bricks for their thermal and acoustical insulation properties.
