3-D Printed Concrete Columns that Tolerate Earthquakes

An architectural design firm in California has created structural columns that can withstand horizontal movement during earthquakes. Joseph Flaherty explains on Wired.com how the concrete pillar is created. “It combines an ancient Incan masonry technique with state-of-the-art manufacturing tools to create a structure that can withstand seismic shocks without mortar or rebar. In this system, bricks are designed in CAD tools to fit together like a 3-D puzzle and then printed in cement.” Once the column is assembled, interlocking features make it resistant to earthquakes by preventing horizontal movement, writes Flaherty.

 

 

http://www.wired.com/2014/10/architects-create-3-d-printed-column-survives-earthquakes/