PrinTimber Team Wins Hacking For Homebuilding Competition

Manish Sakhakarmy, a Graduate Research Assistant at Auburn University, placed in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Oral/Poster Competition for my oral presentation entitled, “Comparative study on pyrolysis of Douglas Fir, Eucalyptus, and Poplar for Novolac production”.

The aims of this work were to investigate the printability of high-fraction wood and sodium-silicate composites (WSSC) for additive manufacturing and to develop a screw extrusion-based process to demonstrate this approach for building construction applications. A custom additive manufacturing system was fabricated, and mixtures of 40%–60% wood fiber and 60%–40% sodium silicate were printed. The…

An interdisciplinary project connecting several Auburn University faculty and fellow scientists seeks to make strides in future advanced manufacturing, including developing affordable homes constructed via 3D printing. The study, which spans the disciplines of engineering, chemistry, forest resources and architecture, also draws strongly upon the expertise of scientists at its partner institution, the University of Idaho, with Michael Maughan,…

Mallory Bermensolo (Master of Architecture student) was interviewed on Idaho Today regarding the PrinTimber project. The Boise-based show brings statewide recognition to PrinTimber and the team’s research into developing technology to produce sustainable building products made from wood waste. Congratulations to PI Michael Maughn and all the PrinTimber researchers for this well deserved recognition.

In May, Pullman High School AP Chemistry students learned about the molecular deformation of polymers through a hands-on class taught by Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor and PrinTimber Principal Investigator Michael Maughan. The lesson taught the students what happens to polymers when they are stretched on a molecular level. This basic concept is a fundamental building block of science….

Civil Engineering Associate Professor Ahmed Ibrahim was recently named a Structural Engineering Institute Fellow by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and will be recognized at the 2023 SEI Structures Congress in New Orleans. Ahmed’s research interests involve 3D concrete and timber printing, blast-resistant design and large-scale experimental testing. As a fellow at the…