Researchers at MIT have successfully created durable, interlocking glass bricks using 3D printing technology. These reusable bricks, which can withstand loads similar to concrete blocks, offer a promising sustainable alternative for future construction.

The engineers behind this innovation aim to promote a circular construction process by using recycled glass. The glass can be reshaped or repurposed at the end of a building’s life cycle, significantly reducing waste. In the future, these 3D-printed glass blocks could be used for building facades or interior walls, offering an eco-friendly substitute for traditional concrete.

This process is built on technology developed by Evenline, an MIT spin-off that specializes in 3D printing glass. The resulting bricks are strong, multi-layered, and designed to interlock, much like LEGO bricks. In a mechanical test, the glass bricks demonstrated a capacity to withstand compressive forces similar to those of concrete. In a demonstration project, the team successfully built a wall using these glass bricks, showcasing their structural potential.

“Glass is a highly recyclable material,” says Kaitlyn Becker, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. “We’re turning it into masonry that, at the end of a structure’s life, can be disassembled and reassembled into a new structure, or put back into the printer to create a completely different shape. This builds on the idea of sustainable, circular building materials.”

Michael Stern, a former MIT graduate student and founder of Evenline, highlights the innovative nature of the project: “Glass as a structural material kind of breaks people’s brains a little bit. We’re showing this is an opportunity to push the limits of what’s been done in architecture.”

Together with Becker and other MIT colleagues, Stern is researching ways to incorporate these glass bricks into larger, self-supporting structures. They envision 3D-printed glass as a practical option for temporary buildings and pavilions that can be easily dismantled and reused for other projects.

This cutting-edge research is supported by the Bose Research Grant Program and the MIT Research Support Committee.

By Impact Lab