Entire houses can be built from clay or excavated earth. The material is cheap, abundant, and sustainable as it does not require cement.
However, existing building methods are very labour-intensive, slow, and expensive.
The new process could help change that.
In what is known as ‘impact printing’, a robot shoots material from above, gradually building a wall. On impact, the parts bond together, and very minimal additives are required.
Unlike concrete 3D printing, the process does not require any pauses during which the material can solidify. A mixture of excavated materials, silt, and clay is currently used.