I came to the farm to see how things grow And I learned some things I didn't know Plants can grow high Plants can grow low Some grow above the ground Some grow below 

sung by Ernie

with help from the veggies

Danijel Rebolj

University of MariborFaculty of Civil Engineering

Construction IT Centre

nanoBuilding concepts &

requirements

Research motivation

building industry produces lots of waste consumes lots of resources is not very effective

adequate housing not affordable for

1.6 billion peopleNT potentials

Research goals

design top-down NT based production concepts

further explore relevant NT areas nanorobotics bioengineering nanomaterials (Carbon Nano Mesh)

formulate requirements for the NT bottom-up research & start cooperation

nanoBuilding concept How things growBy multiplication of basic elements

bricks, cells, molecules,...using a plan that is either

extrinsic (building plans), intrinsic (instructions contained in

DNA), or combined (bonsai)

forming functional parts in their final size (a house) in growing size and functionality

nanoBuilding concept Growing facilitiesCommon practice of construction is

by sequential multiplication and composition of a variety of macro-level building

elements, produced by traditional ways of material

treatmentour goal: to mimic the natural way

using nano-level building elements

nanoBuilding concept Growing facilitiesExtrinsic plan

nanotechnology devices to produce building material at nano scale on site

phisics & chemistry lawsIntrinsic & combined plan

bionanotechnology / synthetic biology to program living particles to grow systems at the higher level

biological laws

NanotechnologyThe study of the control of matter

on an atomic and molecular scaleNanometer : meter = marble :

EarthA prooven method for growing

things - nature does it successfuly for billions of years

myosin, a bio-robot

= biology

Nanotechnology

NanomaterialsMolecular self-assembly (incl. DNA

nanotechnology), cause single-molecule components to automatically arrange themselves into some useful conformation

Programmable matter

C60 fullerene

Nanotechnology

Nanorobots (1 way to go): use of minuscule objects from DNA (TU München)

Nanotechnology in ConstructionMaterial refinment (e.g. 3-6x

higher strenght of conrete using nano-silica, self-cleaning & antifogging using TiO2)

New materials with better properties – carbon nanotubes (CNT), 100x strength of steel

nanoBuilding conceptThe process

1. 3D solid modeling2. 4D modeling (slicing &

sequencing)3. site preparation4. building & control5. functional testing

nanoBuilding conceptThe process

1. 3D solid modeling define detailed solid geometry define parts of the model (3D

areas), with specific material properties (strength, friction, conductivity, to form utility systems like water system, sewer system, electrical instalations, communication system etc.)

nanoBuilding conceptThe process

2. 4D modeling defining supportive structures where

necessary (for any vertical holes) slicing according to the thickness of

the nano layers sequencing – defining the sequence

and the default time for each slice

nanoBuilding conceptThe process

3. site preparation excavation to level 0 of the building setup building equipment – the

projector

nanoBuilding conceptThe process

4. building & control planting of “seed” nanoroborts onto

the ground plan self-replication of nanorobots

throughout the slice creating carbon nano mesh (CNM)

slice repeating the process slice by slice

nanoBuilding concept Summarized1. Use nanorobots, able to2. self-replicate, and3. build CNM using C from CO2 in the

air 4. with desired characteristics5. using light as a source6. for energy, and7. instructions (wavelenghts)

input: 4D model

Specific wavelengthstransmit differentinstructions to nanorobots:

- self-replicate- build CNM with specific characteristics

Light projector

ground plan 0

ground plan 0

“seed” nanorobots

Instruction:- replicate

Instruction:- replicate

Instruction:- build CNM slicewith high bearingstength

Instruction:- build CNM slicewith high bearingstength

Instruction:- build pipe wall CNM with lowfriction

All utilities arebuilt-in (pipes,shafts, wires,...)

Supporting structure- temporary CNMmaterial to be decomposedafter window beamis built

The building is risingslice by slice...

nanoBuildingRequirementsNanorobots powered by light, able torecognize different wavelengths and

compiling them into instructionscompose CNM with required

characteristics (strength, conductivity) using C from CO2 from the airable to self-replicate

nanoBuildingThe future

Conclusion

I belive the question is not if (bio)nanotehnology can meet the defined requirements, but when.

The proof of concept exists!