Biomineralization

The building industry primarily depends on concrete, steel, and wood for major structural components, which each have relatively large carbon footprints due to transport to sites and/or production methods. This work explores the potential for a new from of building structure to be both sourced and produced on-site with relatively rapid timelines. Learning from nature’s examples, such as deer antlers that exhibit rapid growth rates with biomineralization processes, the work extrapolates the core principles and translates them into unique materials for structural members. Three major elements are required: 1) scaffolding that can be 3D-printed on-site from biodegradable PLA or nonoilen, 2) reversible synthesis compositions for the hydrogel fluid membrane lining the scaffold form to provide proper nutrients for the biomineralization, and 3) locally-sourced minerals from soils to feed and initiate the biomineralization forms which fill the spaces within the scaffolds.