🌍 Adaptive Fabrication of Bespoke Compressed Earth Blocks 🧱
Advancements in computational design and digital fabrication are reshaping how architects and engineers approach sustainable building. Traditional construction often relies on standardized components, but bespoke geometries can improve performance, aesthetics, and usability. However, customized solutions usually demand specialized machinery and high costs, which limit accessibility in low-resource or remote settings. This research explores a novel fabrication method that leverages conventional Compressed Earth Block (CEB) presses with additively manufactured molds to produce customized blocks without increasing costs or environmental impact.
Computational Design and Mass Customization
Computational design has opened possibilities for creating complex, optimized geometries that improve both structural integrity and architectural aesthetics. Mass customization allows for the production of unique components at scale, but its practical application in construction remains limited due to material and fabrication constraints. This study demonstrates how computationally generated interlocking block geometries can be directly translated into physical components using additively manufactured molds, enabling accessible mass customization within earth-based construction.
Sustainable Fabrication and Accessibility
One of the central goals of this research is to make sustainable construction techniques more accessible and adaptable to low-resource regions. By using earth as the primary material and conventional CEB presses as the fabrication platform, the process avoids dependence on energy-intensive proprietary machinery. The adaptive mold system offers an eco-friendly, affordable, and locally deployable solution that minimizes environmental impact while expanding the design possibilities of compressed earth construction.
Additively Manufactured Molds for CEBs
The innovative aspect of this research lies in the development of customized molds compatible with existing CEB presses. These molds allow the production of blocks with intricate features such as interlocking profiles, which improve structural performance and reduce reliance on mortar or formwork. Compared to additive manufacturing of entire blocks, this method achieves higher production throughput, preserves the mechanical properties of CEBs, and lowers both material waste and fabrication costs.
Structural Validation through Corbelled Dome Construction
The study validates the novel fabrication process through a case study that constructs a corbelled dome using 512 uniquely shaped interlocking CEBs. The dome demonstrates not only the structural feasibility of the customized blocks but also their potential for enabling mortar-less and formwork-free construction. This case study highlights how architectural complexity, sustainability, and accessibility can be achieved simultaneously through the integration of adaptive fabrication with earth-based construction methods.
Contribution to Architectural and Construction Research
This research contributes significantly to architectural technology, sustainable construction, and material innovation. It positions compressed earth block fabrication within the broader discourse of digital design, mass customization, and low-carbon building strategies. By merging computational design, additive manufacturing, and traditional earth-based techniques, the study provides a replicable framework for producing bespoke, sustainable structures that are both socially inclusive and environmentally responsible.
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