ORNL researchers partnered with the University of Maine through the Sustainable Materials & Manufacturing Alliance for Renewable Technologies, or SM2ART, program to 3D print a single-piece, recyclable natural-material floor panel tested to be strong enough to replace construction materials like steel.
The floor panel was recently displayed during the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s 2024 Housing Innovation Showcase on the National Mall and has attracted interest from home manufacturers and builders across the country. The SM2ART Nfloor cassette panel was developed to replace traditional steel-and-concrete surface assemblies as a transformative step for constructing apartment and condominium buildings. The technology has the potential to create strong, biologically based sections that could make multistory buildings more environmentally friendly. It could also help increase the use of sustainable structures that are made in a modular construction facility. The SM2ART floor cassette’s sturdiness comes from its unique formulation of polylactic acid, or PLA, which is a biodegradable thermoplastic-polyester bioplastic derived from corn residue and wood flour made from the waste of lumber processing.
SUPPORT
Research performed at DOE’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at ORNL, supported by DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office. Design work and 3D printing performed at the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composites Center. The ASCC is an interdisciplinary center for research, education and economic development.