UWindsor engineering professor Sreekanta Das addresses a workshop on 3D concrete printing at India’s National Institute of Technology Karnataka.
UWindsor engineering professor Sreekanta Das addressed a workshop on 3D concrete printing at India’s National Institute of Technology Karnataka.
UWindsor is partnering with Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex to produce the first 3D-printed residential homes in Canada
A team of researchers from the University of Windsor’s Centre for Engineering Innovation has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex to build Canada’s first 3D-printed homes for residential use.
“Habitat for Humanity believes everyone has the right to a safe, decent, affordable place to live,” says Fiona Coughlin, executive director and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex. “As this cutting-edge technology is evolving, we are excited to partner with the University of Windsor to find ways to provide housing solutions in our community.”
Coughlin notes that current building codes in Canada are not written with these novel 3D-printing technologies in mind. One of the goals of the project is to design a 3D-printed home that meets residential building code requirements and produce landmark precedents for future practices in cost-effective and environmentally sustainable home construction across the country.
Civil engineering professor and University of Windsor project lead, Dr. Sreekanta Das, says the project will help address a vital need for a more affordable and environmentally sustainable housing market. He, alongside a team of engineering graduate students and laboratory technicians, will 3D print concrete segments on a large-scale, industrial printer in the university’s Structural Engineering Testing Lab — one of the largest and tallest in Canada — and test them exhaustively for strength, sustainability and durability to ensure they’re safe for residential use.
“Traditional concrete construction requires more materials,” Das says. “Panels, usually made of wood, are used to create enclosures into which concrete can be poured to form a mold. With 3D printing, the need for panels is eliminated, eventually making construction much cheaper and faster.”
Das says 3D-printed construction also significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions generated by the construction industry. A house can be printed with as little as three people within a significantly shorter timeframe and at a much lower cost. He estimates that once these construction processes are perfected, multiple homes can be printed within a few days.
The team is setting its sights on completing four 3D-printed, residential homes for Windsor-Essex community members in need by April 1, 2022.
In UWindsor’s structures lab, one of the largest in Canada, Sreekanta Das’s team will develop a loadbearing, narrow, concrete beam that fits with prefabricated insulated light-gauge steel wall panels.
Professor Sreekanta Das has partnered with industry to develop structures using corrosion-resistant building rebar made from volcanic rock.
Having a massive piece of equipment used to test the strength of a wide variety of structures moved to the new Ed Lumley Centre for Engineering Innovation will give faculty and student researchers a new level of capability they were never able to enjoy in their old facility, according to one engineering professor.
Food Services will offer more choices to students, faculty and staff on campus this summer, says department head Dave McEwen.
The Marketplace food court in the CAW Student Centre will operate all summer long and, beginning April 23, will feature a new Second Cup coffee program. This self-serve station will offer soups and pastries in addition to a range of hot beverages.
A UWindsor engineer hopes the testing he conducted for a local solar energy supplier will help the firm expand and grow.
 Sreekanta Das. |
Looking for a quick bite on campus that’s deliciously different and a great deal? Just grab a hot and fresh Bozii combo and you’ll be good to go.
An outlet serving the savoury filled pastries opened Monday in the Toldo Health Education Centre, adjacent to the Bru. The pastries are available in a variety of fillings – from steak to vegetarian – grilled fresh for each customer, and come with a choice of dipping sauces.
