The Polytechnic University of Valencia, in Spain, carries out research in the field of architecture and construction that is part of the general trend towards sustainable solutions and waste recycling. In this case, moreover, the research is carried out using 3D printing technologies. It is a new system for manufacturing structural beams from recycled plastic.
The beams, which are assembled together in a mechanised way, are manufactured by 3D printing with a double T profile and an irregular grid of ribs with hollow sections inside them, which gives them rigidity. The upper part, finished in an open U-shape, serves as a formwork for pouring and filling them with high-performance concrete.
Among their advantages in architecture and construction, with respect to traditional structural solutions, we highlight the following:
-They are 80% lighter than concrete and steel beams.
-Because they are lighter, they are easier to transport and assemble; as a result, costs are saved in labour, material and time during construction.
-At the same time, pathologies associated with steel or concrete, such as corrosion, are avoided.
-Since the raw material used is recycled plastic, it is a structural element that helps to make architecture and construction more sustainable than traditional methods.
-Finally, as they are produced by 3D printing, the beams are made to measure and customised.
By Alberto Lopez, Senior Structural Engineer in Amusement Logic’s Architecture Dept.
