So… Plastic waste is a huge issue. But also allowing everyone to have a home is also another huge issue.
Why cant we impactthe planet by recycling and shaping plastic into plastic designed homes for homeless?
The idea is to have home designs in plastic. The design will require different angles: easy to build (lego like), decision on water and electricity conduits, security, windows elements.
Project will have these streams:
Home Design
Building Technology Designs (based on Dave’s work, but the molding might require some twist)
Spreading (enabling reachable workwide)
Community
For the home mould there are 2 feasible approaches, one is making a mould to shape the plastic like big bricks (like lego pieces as you mention), and another way is to make plastic lumber with a large flat mould with several heating elements attached.
Hi, I’m working on this with a brick like Lego, at the moment I’m waiting for the patent rights, actually the brick is built with wood or plywood but plastic is a great option for country with hi plastic pollution.
I think the flat plank mold, (similar to the beam mold) would work great for flooring. I think it would work best to add a small, long piece of metal down length of rectangular tube, in the corner, that would allow planks to overlap or lock together. You could use thin lines of hot plastic from the extruder to make the planks stick together and fill in any gaps.
HI all, I have seen some videos on internet where plastic is heated, mixed with sand at 30:70 plastic:sand ration and compacted under heat again and made into bricks, roofing tiles and pavers that are durable. So it is possible to make building material out of some types of plastic but this can only be done with a bigger machine as an industrial scale. Gilbert
Hi.
How is it going with the floor idea ? I need to cover earth floors in my school in Kenya for kids not to be infested with jiggers. I have much plastic on the beach, but….
Well I didnt get the contest price but I did get a chance to present the idea. It did get a lot of support and i got in contact with someone whos starting to get costs to build the machines. Specifically the schreder and extrusion machines. Any suggestions for 3d printer models anyone? Thanks!!
Hi Ruben!!! Greetings from Argentina!!!
I believe its the moment to start the designs. Can start with parts: my thought is floor. Many in need require to have a floor, and now have plain ground between walls.
With this can have a project running with social impact and working on design for a full house made of plastic in the meantime.
I will be presenting the project this week in a local goverment contest so hope I can have a boost to start!! Will let you know how it goes. Try to find something local to boost it there also!!
Keep posting, lets keep in contact.
Well I have the same idea by the way…and just researched for the possibility…
For the shape and dimensional, it should no problem to make such a “plastic brick”…
From the material properties, some plastics also meets the requirements…But still better to make a composite (mixing with other material).
But still I am not sure from the fatigue strentgh properties…The normal clay brick house maybe can survive until 20-30 years…Still need some tests for this plastic bricks…
Another problem is from the joining of the bricks…we need some kind of special adhesives, depends on the brick materials…Combine with such ‘joining-LEGO-shape’, maybe it will be strong enough…
But we need to make first, and maybe test it under University’s Labs…
Awsome plastic building!!!
What if anyone can reshred (using Dave’s) and 3d reprint following a digital design.
I’ve read that Economic Forum in 2016 in Davos started a stream of work for plastic strategy.
I’ve talking to 3d printing experts and they’ve told me that printing using recycled plastic is a challenge.
Any feedback regarding this point will really help me!
We are late comers to precious plastic and our first Project is related to house building for our eco beach resort in Popototan island Palawan Philippines.
We have only had time to build the Shredder so Correct me if i am wrong, but i feel like the problem we have for building is the slow speed and efficiency of our machines.
So our first product for building are the ECOBRICKS, which are basically PET bottles stuffed with unrecycable plastics like plastic bags, aluminium, filmed…etc, what is great because these plastics have zero value and are normally left behind.
Our shredder is a great tool to make the process more eficcient and faster besides making it better than handmade as we can stuff more plastics inside.
I will document the process here, Would love to hear your thoughts
