New 3D Printing Techniques Used for Shelters in Ukraine

Stony Brook University faculty and beyond have been presented with the large task of creating sustainable shelters for Ukrainian refugees.

Researchers are looking to construct refugee shelters with recycled concrete and other waste materials through new 3D printing technology. The 3D printer utilizes a combination of materials that are found in the countries participating in the research, including the United States, Poland and Ukraine.

"This project has the potential to develop exciting breakthroughs on how to turn construction waste into a sustainable solution for the $2 trillion per year US construction industry," said Professor Alexander Orlov in in the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering,who leads this project. "It can also save countless lives of Ukrainian refugees who can benefit from rapid printing of shelters to house displaced families."

The project is co-funded by the Office of Naval Research, United States National Science Foundation and Polish National Science Centre. The research is a collaborative effort spanning multiple universities across the globe. These universities include Stony Brook University in the United States, Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture in Ukraine, and Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology in Poland.

Stony Brook University's role in the project is to assess the samples used in the building process and develop 3D printing solutions. Faculty will work on creating a flexible platform to develop new materials that can be deployed in Ukraine.

In addition to providing shelter, these structures are sustainable because they reduce cement consumption. Cement production releases immense amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and has a large impact on global warming due to its carbon footprint. In total, concrete accounts for more than 8 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and worse, only 15 percent of concrete is recycled. By using recycled concrete, the refugee shelters are more sustainable and also decrease the cost, allowing for more shelters to be built.

The cement will be combined with other waste (including agricultural and industrial waste) to increase the sustainability of the project. Ukraine, in particular, is in desperate need of this development, since the damaged infrastructure from the war is valued at roughly $104 billion.

"This research will address challenges in building resilient and sustainable infrastructure by using novel, inexpensive, and energy efficient solutions," said Marija Krstic, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Civil Engineeringwho is collaborating on the project. "I am working on analyzing the existing challenges related to the incorporation of waste into concrete 3D printing."

The new 3D printing approach, unlike building the shelters through traditional construction, allows for less manual labor which, in turn, accelerates the building process.

- Angelina Livigni