Lego-like glass bricks, 3D printed and usable to assemble and reassemble buildings without losing resources. This is what was achieved by a research team led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which published its results in ‘Glass Structures & Engineering’. Using custom 3D glass printing technology provided by MIT spin-off Evenline, the team made durable, multi-layered glass bricks, each in the shape of a figure eight, designed to fit together, just like Lego bricks.
In mechanical tests, a single glass block withstood pressures similar to those of a concrete block. As a structural demonstration, the researchers built an interlocking glass brick wall. They imagine that the 3D printable glass masonry could be reused many times as recyclable bricks for building facades and interior walls.
“Glass is a highly recyclable material – says Kaitlyn Becker, professor of mechanical engineering at MIT – we are taking glass and transforming it into masonry which, at the end of a structure’s life, can be dismantled and reassembled in a new structure, or it can be fed back into the printer and transformed into a completely different shape. All of this fits into our idea of a sustainable and circular building material.”
The team printed glass block prototypes using soda-lime glass, typically used in a glassblowing studio. They incorporated two round pegs onto each printed brick, similar to the pins on a Lego brick. Like toy blocks, pegs allow bricks to fit together and assemble into larger structures. Another material placed between the bricks prevents scratches or cracks between the glass surfaces, but can be removed if a brick structure were to be dismantled and recycled, allowing the bricks to be remelted in the printer.