Kai Hsun Yeh, Kevin Seav, Karen A. Antorveza Paez, Shuyi Huang. 2024
The construction industry faces significant environmental challenges, with cement production contributing up to 8% of global CO2 emissions. This study explores an alternative through microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP), which leverages microorganisms to precipitate CaCO3 at ambient temperatures, eliminating the need for carbon-intensive
kilns. This study explores the scaling of MICP for architectural applications, leveraging geometry to expand the system’s performance. The design process operates on multiple scales, including the microscale, where biomineralization occurs, the mesoscale, which focuses on geometric exploration, and the macroscale targets potential architectural applications. By optimizing porosity, the study presents a strategy to increase surface area, addressing the specific requirements of 3D-Printing Biocement. The resulting lightweight, porous structures demonstrate significant potential for material efficiency and sustainability, with applications in facade shading and acoustic partitions.