Concrete is the most widely used artificial material in construction, although it is also the source of about 8 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, according to figures from the British think tank Chatham House.
To avoid contamination, researchers at the Center for Advanced Composites and Structures at the University of Maine (USA) devised BioHome3D, the first 3D-printed house made entirely of materials of biological origin.
According to its creators, the prototype has floors, walls and ceilings printed in 3D from wood fibers and bioresins. The house is fully recyclable, with 100% wood insulation and customizable values.
In addition to helping to conserve the environment, this construction is also intended to address the shortage of affordable housing and labor.
“Using bio-based composite materials in large-scale 3D printing of houses can help strengthen Maine’s forest products industry while addressing affordable housing and labor shortages,” Dr. Habib Dagher, founding Executive Director of the Advanced Structures & Composites Center, explained to Metro.
The United States and Maine, in particular, are experiencing an affordable housing shortage crisis. The National Low Income Housing Coalition reports that more than 8 million affordable homes are needed in the country.
According to the scientists, BioHome3D’s technology is designed to solve labor shortages and other problems that drive up costs and limit the supply of affordable housing. Thanks to automated manufacturing and outsourced production, it will take less time to build and equip these homes.
Furthermore, printing with abundant, renewable and locally sourced wood fiber raw materials is expected to reduce reliance on a limited supply chain. These materials support the revitalization of local forest products industries and are more resilient to global supply chain disruptions and labor shortages.
Metro spoke with Dagher to find out more.
“With its innovative BioHome3D, the UMaine Center for Advanced Composites and Structures is thinking creatively about how we can address our housing shortage, strengthen our forest products industry, and provide people with a safe place to live for that can contribute to our economy.”
— Janet Mills, Governor of Maine
square meters is the total size of the BioHome3D.
-It is the first 3D printed house made entirely with materials of biological origin and is fully recyclable. The walls, ceiling and floor were printed.
-BioHome3D is a single-family home of 600 square meters.
-It was printed in three totally enclosed modules that can be easily transported by road and assembled on site.
-Each module is 100% additively manufactured -floors, walls and roof-, which differentiates this house from current 3D-printed commercial houses.
-The house consists of a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, living room and porch. The entire house is bio-based, so it can be completely recycled.
Dr Habib Dagher
Founding Executive Director of the Center for Advanced Structures and Composites
Q: Tell us about the materials that make up BioHome3D.
– BioHome3D is the first 3D printed house in the world with 100% biological materials. It is made from a bio-based polymer combined with wood flour sourced from local wood waste to create a renewable and more sustainable raw material for 3D printing. The materials developed have a compressive strength higher than that of concrete.
The materials used are 100% recyclable, so the house can be completely recycled after 100 or 200 years. Sustainably produced wood fiber is a renewable resource that captures carbon during the growth cycle of trees. BioHome3D can be considered a carbon storage and sequestration unit both during its useful life and after being recycled into new products.
Q: How is the 3D printing technique used?
– The entire house -walls, floors, roof and porch- was printed on the world’s largest polymer 3D printer, located in the Center for Advanced Structures and Composites. The house was printed in three independent modules that were transported to the construction site and assembled in half a day.
Q: Can these houses be used for all kinds of environments?
– BioHome3D was designed to meet affordable housing standards and insulation requirements in Maine and other northern settings. The house is very well insulated with 100% organic wood, and the R values (N of Ed: which measure thermal resistance) can be adjusted by changing the thickness of the walls and roof. The house is highly customizable; Using advanced materials and manufacturing processes, future low-income homes can be customized to meet the owner’s preferences for space, energy efficiency, and aesthetics.
This first prototype house is equipped with thermal, environmental and structural monitoring sensors to check its performance in the harsh winter and use the data collected to improve future designs.