SaltBlock as a 3D printed Construction Material in Hot Arid Climates

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-17-2021

Abstract

Earthen materials are being substituted with fire bricks in hot arid regions such as Egypt due to limitations of time, labor, formal complexity, and durability, despite the benefits of energy efficiency and climatic control. This paper introduces SaltBlock, a sustainable construction approach that utilizes sand and salt as abundant materials in hot arid climates. The aims of this approach are twofold; (1) reviving the use of Karshif, a salt-based traditional building material prevalent in the Siwa desert region in Egypt, and (2) developing a low-cost composite by employing additive manufacturing through an automated workflow. We devised a 3D printer with a low melting point binder to digitally fabricate SaltBlock units by bonding salt and sand particles. Several experimental tests were conducted regarding the form generation, mechanical characterization and thermal performance evaluation of the SaltBlock. The SaltBlock prototype was shown to exhibit similar compression strength (9.5 MPa) and better thermal performance (0.94W/m2K) when compared to fire bricks, for a wall thickness of 20 cm.The research is expected to encourage producing full-scale sustainable applications in the desert construction industry.

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