New Lassonde partnership leverages 3D printing for sustainable, affordable housing solutions

At York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, building relationships with external partners is a key objective that helps drive the School’s success. Working in partnership with various organizations and institutions not only enhances Lassonde’s reach and reputation, but also provides students with unique learning opportunities and experiences.

Recently, Liam Butler, an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, teamed up with Printerra, a cutting-edge construction company. Printerra is a subdivision of Leostar Development Group, and Canada’s first vertically-integrated construction company that offers 3D construction printing.

Together, Professor Butler and Printerra are working on innovating and manufacturing 3D printed concrete homes, helping address Canada’s growing demand for affordable and sustainable housing. Using state-of-the-art printing technology, this project has the capacity to transform the future of housing construction, reducing both labour costs and construction time.

In support of this initiative, Professor Butler also received funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Alliance Advantage program. In addition to aiding research objectives, this funding will allow for training and recruitment of graduate-level student researchers. Students will have the opportunity to advance technical and professional skills, while crafting their engineering capabilities through lab testing and field monitoring.

“The major goals of this project are testing the feasibility of 3D printed concrete homes and their long-term performance against different climate conditions,” says Professor Butler.

This project will take full advantage of the innovative facilities at Lassonde, including the High Bay Structures Lab and the  Climate-Data-Driven Design (CD3) Facility – a unique space which allows for outdoor testing and monitoring of natural and infrastructure materials to evaluate their performance under realistic climate conditions.

3D-concrete printing of structural components at the CD3 facility

“Printerra is the first industry partner to directly undertake work at the CD3 Facility,” says Professor Butler. “This project fulfills the entire vision of the facility, and we hope it will put us on the map and generate further interest from industry partners.”

In addition to performance testing, Professor Butler will focus on the development of low-carbon concrete mixtures that can be used to 3D print structural components.

Similar to 3D printing with plastics and metals, using concrete involves the successive deposition of thin layers of material through an extrusion nozzle. The properties of the concrete must be closely controlled to ensure each layer hardens and holds it shape prior to adding the next layer. Typically, these mixtures contain significant amounts of Portland cement, a conventional material used to make concrete – and a significant contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions.

By developing new, low-carbon concrete materials, Professor Butler will establish a sustainable alternative to conventional concrete, helping offset the associated carbon footprint of 3D-printed housing.

These efforts directly contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals: 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 13 (Climate Action).

This project also gives student researchers the chance to collaborate with industry professionals and achieve research outcomes that directly relate to industrial applications. Such opportunities are crucial for career preparation, offering learners hands-on experiences and connections that are invaluable as they transition from academia to their professional careers.

“This project is going to demonstrate the strong potential of 3D printed concrete homes while building trust in new low-carbon concrete materials and construction technologies – it is a very exciting time for our research group,” says Professor Butler.