Columbia Technology Ventures

3D-printed Lite Clay composite for efficient and sustainable construction

This technology is a light straw clay and cob composite material, that is a sustainable alternative to traditional cement with environmental, economic and health advantages.

Unmet Need: Simple 3D-printed composite for construction with low cost, carbon emission and high thermal resistivity

Current materials used for commercial building and housing construction are associated with high cost and high carbon emission during fabrication. Using a sustainable alternative such as earth materials can overcome environmental, health and economic challenges. Although sustainable materials such as cob and light straw clay have been manufactured, however there are no uncombined earth materials which can overcome poor insulation properties and high labor intensities.

The Technology: Robust earth composite with high insulation properties and low environmental costs

This composite material is a blend of cob and light straw clay, which can be easily manufactured using 3D printing. When combined together, the composite form overcomes limitations such as poor insulation properties, high labor intensity and high cost of manufacturing, compared to if the materials were to be manufactured in an unblended manner.

Applications:

  • Building prefabricated housing and commercial buildings
  • Building schools or hospitals in low-income settings
  • Environmentally-friendly construction
  • Temporary construction projects
  • Building modular structures

Advantages:

  • High-throughput platform for construction material fabrication
  • Low carbon footprint and environmentally sustainable
  • High thermal resistivity and insulation properties
  • Cost-effective

Lead Inventor:

Rachel Lola Ben-Alon, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending (WO/2023/225152)

Related Publications:

Tech Ventures Reference: