Back to Earth (2026-01)¶

Earth has been used as a building material for thousands of years and remains relevant today due to its sustainability, recyclability, and climatic benefits. Traditional earth construction techniques are still widely used but tend to be labor-intensive and require specialized craftsmanship. Additive Manufacturing (AM) with earth offers a modern, efficient alternative for existing construction methods, enabling faster building processes, greater precision, and reduced material waste. Digital monitoring and sensor technologies provide real-time process control, improving material utilization and structural integrity. Despite its advantages, Additive Manufacturing with earth faces challenges, particularly concerning material properties such as shrinkage behavior and mechanical strength. Earth-based materials typically have low compressive strength and require optimization to achieve required rheological characteristics in the fresh state as well as durability in the hardened state. The incorporation of suitable reactive and inert constituents can help address these limitations. Additionally, numerical modeling plays a crucial role for analysing mechanical behavior and optimizing structural performance of printed parts. Ongoing research and technological advancements in material science and digital fabrication hold the potential to overcome these challenges and expand the application of additive manufacturing with earth. By integrating traditional materials with modern digital techniques, this innovative approach paves the way for more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly construction solutions.