Bacteria Turn 3D-Printed Sand Into Solid Building Elements

Bacteria turn 3D-printed sand into solid building elements

Cement manufacturing is one of the largest sources of CO₂ emissions in the construction industry. At the Department of Architecture, Karen Antorveza Paez, who has just completed her doctorate at ETH Zurich, is researching an alternative that works in a different way: instead of firing rocks at over 1,000°C, she is getting bacteria to bond grains of sand together into solid architectural elements.

Bacteria turn 3D-printed sand into solid building materials

Researchers combine bacteria, 3D printing and robotic spraying to turn sand into solid architectural elements without high-temperature processing.

ETH Zurich scientists use bacteria to bind sand together for construction

An ETH Zurich scientist has shown that bacteria and digital manufacturing can also be used to build free-form architectural elements. The process is seen as a promising, less energy-intensive alternative to cement. Previously, it has primarily been used to stabilise soils, moulded tiles, and in research. The research suggests that living bacteria can bond sand […]

Bacteria That Print Buildings: Living Cement Grows Solid at Room

ETH Zurich researchers have combined bacteria, sand and digital manufacturing to grow solid architectural elements without firing cement.