Researchers develop printed bricks made from construction waste

Researchers at Brunel University in London have launched a new project to develop 3D-printed bricks made from waste construction materials.

The three-year DigiMat project, backed by funding from the EU Commission, aims to develop an eco-friendly cement mix created from building waste that can be printed into new interlocking bricks for use in new buildings.

Brunel University said it hoped the DigiMat project would reduce construction’s reliance on cement. Production of cement can give rise to 0.85 tonnes of CO2 for every tonne of cement.

The team ultimately plans to demonstrate their technology by printing out a series of 50cm x 50cm recycled bricks which will be slotted together to form an interlocked wall in a similar fashion to one built from Lego.

Dr Seyed Ghaffar, who heads the Additive Manufacturing Technology in Construction (AMTC) research, said: “Nearly half of all materials extracted from Earth annually are used in concrete, and extraction of construction virgin aggregates is the main part of the global non-metallic mineral consumption,” said group.

“Our objective is to decrease the CO2 footprint of printed products against traditional virgin concrete and cementitious mortars, through the development of printable mixtures that will use up to 100% recycled aggregates.”