A team at MIT has published a research paper detailing its work on printing bricks made from recycled glass that can be interlocked like Lego pieces.
The use of printing allows for greater design flexibility and a reduction in tooling costs when compared with traditional glass production.
The method used can print bricks measuring 32.5cm x 32.5cm x 38cm, which are then able to withstand pressures similar to concrete. The team says the bricks, which have a figure-eight shape, can be used for internal and external walls.
At the end of their life, the bricks can either be disassembled and reused or recycled into something else. Glass can be recycled almost indefinitely as long as contamination is avoided.
Michael Stern, an MIT media lab researcher, said: “We have more understanding of what the material’s limits are and how to scale.
“We’re thinking of stepping stones to buildings and want to start with something like a pavilion – a temporary structure that you could then reconfigure into a second design. You could imagine that these blocks could go through a lot of lives.”
Kaitlyn Becker, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, added: “I get excited about expanding design and manufacturing spaces for challenging materials with interesting characteristics, like glass and its optical properties and recyclability.”
The Additive Manufacturing of Interlocking Glass Masonry Units was published on the 16 September. Research was funded in part by the Bose Research Grant Programme and MIT’s Research Support Committee.
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