CSALT Research Team prepares for Robotic Clay exhibit at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery

Bringing together our research and experience in topology optimization, 3D printing, clay harvesting and manipulation, toolpath drawings, kiln work and fabrication, the research team at CSALT has begun to assemble our entry in the Robotic Clay: New Methods in Architectural Ceramics exhibition at the prestigious Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery (#cdnclayandglass). We invite you to view the full story by Maria Cook on the ASAU website here and further published in Canadian Architect here.

The project is the culmination of several research trajectories at CSALT including 3D printed masonry units, concrete admixtures and mortars, and digital fabrication workflows. The project team is Adonis Lau, Meaghan Dickson, Catalin Bacalu, Ju Huang, Stephanie Murray, George Gialouris-Tsivikas, Shela Lamug and Slade Solomon with invaluable assistance by Mark MacGuigan and Rob Wood and leadership by Professor Sheryl Boyle. The team has developed a mortar to assemble the clay pieces compatible with this fired clay structure using Ultra-High Performance concrete and recycled glass in varying densities . By incorporating waste glass, Co2 absorbing hydraulic lime and some components of standard UHPC mixtures the mortar aims to find alternative solutions to offset portland cement use and propose new sustainable futures for concrete-based assemblies. Our research is supported by the Canadian Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute.

We are grateful to be selected for the event organized by David Correa, Isabel Ochoa and James Clarke-Hicks with the CCGG, and look forward to the opening of the event on May 27th. See you there!