Latest news with #AdvancedStructuresandCompositesCenter
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Revolutionary 3D-printed homes could solve a major problem in the US: 'Takes only a week to create'
A game-changing construction method from the University of Maine could help solve the U.S. housing crisis. A segment broadcast on "Good Morning America" profiled BioHome3D, a sustainable housing solution from the University of Maine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center. It uses a 3D printer to create a modular home with just two ingredients: wood waste and corn resin. As reporter Ginger Zee explained, sawmills in the Pine Tree State produce about 1 million tons of wood waste each year. The 600-square-foot home "takes only a week to create," Zee said, and it has already passed its first significant test: surviving one of Maine's brutal winters, with windchill factors falling below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, as Maine Public detailed. With the materials costing around $40,000, it's conceivable that upscaling production could lower costs further. As Zee observed, sub-$100,000 starter homes could be a realistic proposition. ASCC is partnering with a local nonprofit to add nine more homes made with 3D-printed materials in the coming year. With more funding secured from Congress and plans to get a factory up and running by 2026, 3D-printed homes could soon be commonplace in New England. According to a report from detailed by Investopedia, U.S. home supply was almost 4 million short in 2024. It noted that if construction rates remain unchanged, it would take over seven years to catch up with demand. However, cutting-edge technology could provide the answer at a fraction of the cost and time required for traditional construction, with significantly less environmental impact. Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Definitely Not sure No way Only in some cities Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Aside from the cost and speed of construction, there are substantial environmental benefits. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, the construction industry has a significant pollution footprint, producing around 21% of global planet-warming pollution. Dwellings created by BioHome3D drain fewer resources and require fewer machines powered by dirty fuels, significantly slashing the environmental impact of construction. Another advantage is that the materials can be easily broken down and recycled, which isn't the case with concrete. Extreme weather events in the United States — including wildfires, deadly storms, and flooding — are increasing in frequency and intensity. Human-caused pollution traps heat in the atmosphere, providing favorable circumstances for such conditions to thrive. Not only is cutting pollution essential to reduce the risk of extreme weather, but there is also a clear advantage to having buildings that can be assembled quickly and cheaply to help people rebuild their lives should their homes be damaged or destroyed. What's more, with uncertainties over the global supply chain, sustainable homes built with locally available materials make a great deal of sense. One comment on the video read, "This is genius especially considering the current financial climate." Another offered a word of caution against future speculation, saying, "All we need to do is keep investors out to keep them affordable." Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UMaine lab lays off 9 employees, blames federal funding uncertainty
May 15—A University of Maine research lab leading efforts in offshore wind and 3D printing has laid off nine employees after the federal government halted millions of dollars in funding. Employees of UMaine's Advanced Structures and Composites Center were notified Monday. The nine employees included engineers, scientists and technicians. The layoffs are effective June 6. The Composites Center, which the university system called the "most productive university research center in the state," receives more than 85% of its funding from grants and federal contracts. It employs 200 regular employees and supported 182 student workers during the past spring semester. In a message to employees, center leaders said the pauses in federal funding have required research projects to be slowed or "rescoped" and necessitated the layoffs. "Regrettably, we must implement a carefully targeted employee reduction to align the size of our workforce with the level of resources available now and in the foreseeable future," officials wrote. "Our leading work in composite materials, advanced manufacturing, the GEM Factory of the Future, national defense, boatbuilding, transportation, housing and energy addresses pressing technical and societal needs. Looking ahead, we will continue to seek new research opportunities that build on these tremendous strengths and further diversify our funding portfolio." The university did not say which projects the employees were working on and said it will not comment further on the layoffs while it works to "support affected employees and pursue restoration of federal awards and further funding diversification." The layoffs come just one month after the Trump administration directed UMaine to halt activity on $15.8 million in offshore wind research projects, including a floating turbine that researchers have worked on for over a decade and was weeks away from a final launch. According to the university, $3.4 million remains to be paid out. The University of Maine System received a letter from the U.S. Department of Energy on April 11 saying it was suspending the projects for "failure to comply" with federal policies, but did not specify which ones. The day he took office, Trump issued a memorandum temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters. He has, for years, attacked wind power as harmful to wildlife, instead promising to increase production of fossil fuels, which he said will lower energy and electric costs. But offshore wind is not the composite center's sole focus. The center last year broke ground on an $82 million, 50,000-square-foot Green Engineering and Materials building to house a massive 3D printing manufacturing hub and training space. Among other projects, the school hopes to use the space, which will house the world's largest 3D printer, to streamline and commercialize the production of 3D-printed houses made from Maine wood waste. Modular housing — including 3D-printed housing — has been eyed as a less expensive and faster means of housing production. At the start of his term, Trump vowed to reduce housing costs and expand supply amid the country's ongoing and worsening housing crisis. The university did not answer questions about whether the layoffs or the funding cuts are expected to impact the Factory of the Future, which is expected to open next year. It said payments to the center for other awards have also been delayed during the federal transition, but did not specify which awards. The federal Energy Department has announced a limit on the amount it will reimburse universities to support administrative and research expenses, though courts have paused implementation of the cuts. The offshore funding halt is one of the many that the Trump administration has levied against Maine since February, when Gov. Janet Mills and Trump publicly clashed over the state allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports. Several funding freezes have since been reversed. The UMaine System was briefly investigated by the Trump administration for potential Title IX violations, during which the system "clearly communicated its compliance," spokesperson Samantha Warren said at the time. Copy the Story Link
