3D Printing Can Be Done With Soil and Seeds

3D printing in housing is usually done with concrete materials, but this produces homes which, while well-insulated, can be sometimes expensive and with interior temperatures which are difficult to regulate. Furthermore, concrete is not a particularly environmentally friendly material; according to the Guardian in 2019, all parts of production considered it accounts for 4.9% of global CO₂ production. It is also a non-renewable resource. For this reason, researchers at the University of Virginia have tried out an alternative 3D printing method using soil-based ink.

Ji Ma, the assistant professor of materials science and engineering at UVA’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, collaborated with Ma forged a partnership with DAVID CARR, a research professor in UVA’s Department of Environmental Sciences, and EHSAN BAHARLOU, an assistant professor in UVA’s School of Architecture. Also working on the project was Spencer Barnes, a recent graduate of the University. The latter experimented with different soil-based ‘inks’, using two different methods: the first, alternating layers of soil and seed, and the second, mixing the two before printing. These methods were used to create a cylindrical prototype.

The team created a soil ‘ink’ which can be extruded in FDM printing (Photo credit: Ehsan Baharlou).

The use of locally-sourced biomaterials could be important for construction. Any waste materials can be recycled back into the process, creating a circular economy and sustainable process. 3D printing with soil is of course a long way from being used to produce entire homes or even rooms, but as sustainability becomes increasingly important it is possible that people will view the use of soil as a valid and good choice for housing.