STANDARTIZATION OF 3D PRINTED WALLS
STRUCTURAL SIMILARITY BETWEEN 3D PRINTED WALLS AND MASONRY CONSTRUCTION
GETTING 3D PRINTED HOMES PERMITTED AS RESIDENTIAL
Gaining industry approval for use of 3D printing technology to build homes has been one of the major barriers to mass availability. However, we have developed a strategy for overcoming this obstacle and receiving the necessary permits.
Our concept is to develop 3D printed structures that are directly comparable to the well-documented and accepted reinforced concrete masonry unit (CMU) wall. We can ensure our 3D printed walls meet existing building standards by mimicking the characteristics of the CMU wall.
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By matching our 3D printed walls with the (CMU) wall all construction techniques employed in roofing, foundation, etc., can be the same as used for CMU.
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PROTOTYPING AND TESTING
Prototyped wall structures are subject to the following tests:
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Compressive strength test of material (ASTM C39)
Compressive strength test of 3D printed units (ASTM C1314)
Absorption test (ASTM C140)
Durability test (ASTM 666)
3 points flexural test (ASTM C78)
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The tests are currently in the progress and all results are expected to be published by November 2019.
PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
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MATERIAL COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
PRELIMINARY RESULTS:
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COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF 3D PRINTED WALL SEGMENTS
The 3D printed wall segment before testing.
NET area compressive strenght is
2640 Psi
DELIMITATION
Preparation the samples for 3-point flexural test:
Tests were performed by Briggs Engineering and Testing and The University of Connecticut with accordance to ASTM testing standards.
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Structural integraty of developed 3D printed structures will be reviewed by Thornton Tomasetti engineering firm.
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Briggs Engineering & Testing is regularly audited and/or certified by the the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Cement and Concrete Laboratory (CCRL), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US Army Corps of Engineers, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the New England Transportation Technician Certification Program (NETTCP). We are also licensed or pre-qualified by all applicable state agencies such as the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). Our State Certified Materials Laboratory and testing equipment is current and state of the art.
The University of Connecticut - a top-ranked research institution, campuses across Connecticut, US built to inspire, the global community that is UConn Nation.
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Thornton Tomasetti - provides engineering design, investigation and analysis services to clients worldwide on projects of every size and level of complexity.
