2024-05-08T18:10:23-04:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150360872/university-of-michigan-researchers-detail-new-3d-printed-upcycled-sawdust-material-for-formwork Josh Niland 2023-08-22T13:09:00-04:00 >2024-03-15T01:45:58-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/da/dabc9720a2f3b31fd99b566eb4e49389.png?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>A recyclable alternative material developed by researchers at the <a href="https://archinect.com/taubmancollege" target="_blank">University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning</a>&rsquo;s Digital Architecture Research &amp; Technology (DART) Laboratory is providing builders with a more sustainable way of applying concrete casts in the construction process in order to cut down on waste and the environmental impact of projects using the method.</p> <p>The fully biodegradable BioMatters material is made from sawdust that&rsquo;s collected and used via robotic 3D printing in the formwork of buildings, an essential element that currently constitutes 40% of all concrete-related construction expenses industry-wide, according to DART.&nbsp;</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e0/e02a03cf90e616eb73f2e2447638de42.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/e0/e02a03cf90e616eb73f2e2447638de42.png?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Image courtesy Tharanesh Varadharajan, Zachary Keller, Muhammad Dayyem Khan/DART Lab</figcaption></figure><p>"Other sawdust-based solutions are using other petroleum-based polymers &mdash; we use biopolymers which are completely decomposable," DART researcher Muhammad Dayyem Khan said, adding that the formwork, once the concrete has cured, can be full...</p>