The New Boundaries of 3D-Printed Clay Bricks Design: Printability of Complex Internal Geometries

Valentino Sangiorgio, Fabio Parisi, Francesco Fieni and Nicola Parisi
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Valentino Sangiorgio: ICITECH—Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del Hormigón, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Fabio Parisi: ICITECH—Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del Hormigón, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Francesco Fieni: DICAR—Department of Civil Engineering Sciences and Architecture, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy
Nicola Parisi: DICAR—Department of Civil Engineering Sciences and Architecture, Polytechnic University of Bari, 70125 Bari, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: The building construction sector is undergoing one of the most profound transformations towards the digital transition of production. In recent decades, the advent of a novel technology for the 3D printing of clay opened up new sustainable possibilities in construction. Some architectural applications of 3D-printed clay bricks with simple internal configurations are being developed around the world. On the other hand, the full potential of 3D-printed bricks for building production is still unknown. Scientific studies about the design and printability of 3D-printed bricks exploiting complex internal geometries are completely missing in the related literature. This paper explores the new boundaries of 3D-printed clay bricks realized with a sustainable extrusion-based 3D clay printing process by proposing a novel conception, design, and analysis. In particular, the proposed methodological approach includes: (i) conception and design; (ii) parametric modeling; (iii) simulation of printability; and (iv) prototyping. The new design and conception aim to fully exploit the potential of 3D printing to realize complex internal geometry in a 3D-printed brick. To this aim, the research investigates the printability of internal configuration generated by using geometries with well-known remarkable mechanical properties, such as periodic minimal surfaces. In conclusion, the results are validated by a wide prototyping campaign.

Keywords: clay 3D printing; sustainable constructions; clay bricks; bricks design; building envelope; additive manufacturing; printability simulation; periodic minimal surfaces (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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