MIT engineers have developed what could be a game-changing approach in the construction industry, targeting sustainability by creating reusable building materials that evoke the simplicity of LEGO bricks. Their innovation involves 3D-printed, recycled glass bricks designed to interlock and potentially transform the way buildings are erected and deconstructed, which could significantly impact the industry's footprint by minimizing the need for new resources and reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions. This technology was enabled through a collaboration with MIT spinoff Evenline, an organization committed to pioneering new sustainable materials.
The core principle behind this initiative points to circular construction, a concept that prioritizes material reuse and repurposing to establish an eco-friendly lifecycle for constructing and deconstructing buildings. In the process, it aims to lower embodied carbon, which encompasses all emissions from material manufacturing up to the demolition phase. The team at MIT, aware of these environmental stakes, utilized a specialized 3D glass printing technology provided by Evenline to produce these robust glass bricks, which can endure pressures akin to those withstood by their concrete counterparts; despite the intricate process of combining recycled material and 3D printing, they see potential far beyond the walls of their laboratories, in real-world architectural applications.
"Glass is a highly recyclable material," Kaitlyn Becker, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT, told MIT News. The glass used in these bricks can be disassembled at the end of a structure's life, then either reassembled into something new or remelted into a different shape altogether. This concept amplifies the sustainable ethos of circular construction, by ensuring the material can serve numerous life cycles without losing its inherent value.
Alongside Becker, former MIT graduate student Michael Stern, now founder and director of Evenline, expressed enthusiasm for employing glass in new, unconventional ways within the architectural realm, indicating a broader horizon for the application of 3D-printing technologies. According to a statement obtained by MIT News, "Glass as a structural material kind of breaks people’s brains a little bit," he said, "We’re showing this is an opportunity to push the limits of what’s been done in architecture." The research team, including lead authors Daniel Massimino and Charlotte Folinus, along with Ethan Townsend from Evenline, published their detailed findings in the journal Glass Structures and Engineering.
The idea took shape from MIT's Glass Lab, where both Becker and Stern forged their initial fascination with the malleability and potential of glass. The glass bricks, with their LEGO-like interlocking pegs, represent both a technical and aesthetic marvel, encouraging not just the circularity of materials but also a creative approach to building design. Testing showed that the strongest bricks, comprised primarily of printed glass with an interlocking feature made from a separate material, could withstand substantial pressure. This discovery suggests that the journey from recycled bottle to structural component is not only feasible but also scalable, a perspective that aligns with MIT's ethos of marrying visionary design with practical manufacturing strategies.
Looking to the future, the team aims to build larger, self-supporting glass structures, starting with simpler constructs such as pavilions that the public can engage with before stepping up to more complex buildings. This research not only holds promise for reducing the construction industry's carbon footprint but also provides new avenues for architects and builders to reimagine the lifecycle of the buildings we live and work in.
