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 Erniewith help from the veggies

Danijel ReboljUniversity of Maribor

Faculty of Civil EngineeringConstruction IT Centre

Nano-to-meter-scale Building

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

conceptsfurther explore relevant NT areas

nanorobotics bioengineering and synthetic biology nanomaterials (3D Carbon Nano Tubes)

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

physics & chemistry lawsIntrinsic & combined plan

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

biology 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

NanotechnologyNanomaterialsMolecular self-assembly (incl. DNA

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

Programmable matter

C60 fullerene

NanotechnologyNanorobots (a possible 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 process1. detailed 3D solid modeling2. adding supporting structures

(preparing model for nano-production)

3. site preparation4. building & control5. functional testing

nanoBuilding conceptThe process1. 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 process2. adding supporting structures /

volumes for all parts without vertical material connection to the ground)

nanoBuilding conceptThe process3. site preparation

excavation to level 0 of the building setup building equipment – the

projector

nanoBuilding conceptThe process4. building & control

planting of “seed” nanoroborts onto the ground plan

self-replication of nanorobots throughout the extent of the building layout

creating carbon nano materials continuously repeating the process

until the top of the building is reached

nanoBuilding concept Summarized1. Use nanorobots, able to2. self-replicate, and3. build CNT 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 lowfrictionAll 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 (option)

nanoBuildingThe future

ConclusionI belive the question is not if

(bio)nanotehnology can meet the defined requirements, but when.

The proof of concept exists!