Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: 3D Printing Sustainable Building Components for Facades and as Window Elements

EPA Grant Number: SU835321
Title: 3D Printing Sustainable Building Components for Facades and as Window Elements
Investigators: San Fratello, Virginia , Rosario, Jennifer Del , Moreland, Alicia , Alvarez, Anna , Binni, Anyssa , Parise, Ashley , Riordan, Benjamin , Scarpello, Biagio , Conte, Brian , Rezowalli, Brian , Straubing, Cassandra , Ho, Cassandra , McClements, Catherine , Koyama, Chiaki , Joenoes, Danny , Cuneo, Desiree , Nguyen, Dinh , Zhang, Dongdong , Pulido, Erika , Gunning, Erin , Diao, Evangeline , Wong, Hillary , Chan, Jamie , Costales, Janice , Silva, Jessica , Korbel, Jill , Jong, Justina , Li, Katherine , Chan, Katie , Nonaka, Kohei , Arqueta, Kumberlyn , Hennessee, Laura , Speer, Leslie , Chan, Liane , Knang, Linda , Tainter, Lynne , Alonso, Maria , Everling, Marissa , Wagner, Molly , Ataraxia, Nylie , Catarino, Oscar , Lewis, Samantha , Wright, Shannon , Wong, Silvia , Cassady, Tanya , Szto, Yuenman , Yunxue,
Institution: San Jose State University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2012 through August 14, 2013
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2012) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The creation of building components that can be seen as sustainable, inexpensive, stronger, recyclable, customizable and perhaps even reparable to the environment is an urgent, and critical focus of architectural research. In the U.S. alone, the construction industry produced 143.5 million tons of building-related construction and demolition debris in 2008, and buildings, in their consumption of energy produce more greenhouse gasses than automobiles or industry.

Rapid Prototyping, which is the automatic construction of physical objects using additive manufacturing technology, typically employs materials intended for the immediate analysis of form, scale, and tactility. Rarely do the materials used in this process have any long-term value nor does the process traditionally have the ability to create actual and sustainable working products.

This research intends to alter this state of affairs by researching design methods appropriate for 3D printing building components for use on facades and as window elements by using wood flour- a waste product, and recycled glass for the production of long-lasting performance-based components. Our goal is to develop a 3d printed wood and glass material and to design 3D printed wood and glass facade elements that use our material. Our research is two fold as we are experimenting with material formulas AND we will be designing the facade elements.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

We developed 2 recipes for 3d printing with wood. The recipes are for both hard and soft wood and use orgm1ic binder m1d harmless polymers to bind m1d strengthen the 3D printed wood material. Through compressive strength testing we discovered that the 3D printed wood material is quite strong, it has a compressive strength of over 900 psi, over 2x as strong as a 2 x 4, which means we cm1 not only design for window and facade elements but also for load bearing wall systems as well- 3D printed wood masonry walls.

Additionally we successfully developed designs for mass customized curtain walls that take advantage of both 3D printed wood and glass. The designs block the hot summer sun yet permit the low, warm winter sun to enter the building interior while simultm1eously allowing for views unlike traditional shades or blinds. We were able to generate designs that would increase winter interior temperatures by m1 average of 12 degrees and decrease the interior temperature in summer by m1 average of 9 degrees which trm1slates to savings and reduced energy usage. Because the curtain walls (facade elements) are made of 100's of unique pieces it is possible to respond to micro climate and programmatic conditions. The designs have been tested using software applications such Ecotect to test proof of concept. One of the benefits of this research is that though rapid manufacturing, geometries cm1 be created that would be impossible to create by hand or require expensive machinery to produce or reproduce.

Conclusions:

1. The 3D printed printed recycled wood is over 90% less expensive than prototypical materials sold by current vendors. This makes 3D printing much more accessible to everyone.
2. The 3D printed recycled wood elements have very high compressive strength capabilities. They are 2X stronger than lumber.
3. The 3D printed mass customized designs for facade and window elements that we created are able to increase winter interior temperatures by an average of 12 degrees m1d decrease the interior temperature in summer by an average of 9 degrees during the work day. These design, when implemented, would drastically reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool the interior.

Supplemental Keywords:

3D printing, wood, glass, additive manufacturing, passive solar design, reduced energy consumption, ecotect

Relevant Websites:

3D Printing with Sustainable Materials Exit

P3 Phase II:

3D Printing Sustainable Building Components for Façades and as Window Elements  | 2014 Progress Report  | Final Report