3D-printed floor using wood residues

3D-printed floor using wood residues

Friday 30 Aug 2024

Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Maine have unveiled a 3D-printed, recyclable, natural-material floor cassette they say is strong enough to replace steel-and-concrete floors in multi-storey buildings.

They said the sturdiness of the “SM2ART Nfloor cassette” comes from its mix of polylactic acid (PLA) – a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from corn residue – and wood flour made from lumber-processing waste.

“The PLA and wood flour blend is an excellent material for producing recyclable, large-format additively manufactured parts,” said Scott Tomlinson, structural engineer with the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC). “This single-piece floor assembly is stiffer and provides an improved walking experience when compared to the steel-concrete assembly it replaces,” he added.

ORNL researcher, Katie Copenhaver, said: “By utilising bio-based, large-scale 3D printing, we replaced an assembly made from 31 parts and three materials with a single-material floor panel that is ecologically friendly and with the same strength as traditional steel floor fabrication.”

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Source & image credit: BIMplus

Image credit: University of Maine

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