Researchers at IIT Guwahati have engineered a 3D printed security post made from industrial waste.

The team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG) have set up a 3D printed security post with a sustainable M40 grade concrete made up of industrial waste, fibers and chemical admixtures. The startup company, Stratify 3D Private Limited, was established under the guidance of IITG assistant professor Biranchi Panda. This technology was created in accord with the AatmaNirbhar Bharat vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The security post was a joint project with the Institute Infrastructure, Planning and Management team. It was designed to be environmentally friendly and the on-site assembly and technology was demonstrated at the Y20 Inception Meet at IIT Guwahati. After this, the Director at IIT Guwahati, Parameswar K Iyer, presented the security post to the security personnel.

This 3D security post has a carpet area of 85 ft2 with 56 modules, each with custom-designed tetrahedron modules with overhangs at 22 degrees and embossed features of up to 40mm. To effectively print the overhanging components, a concrete mix design was created with different combinations of accelerators and retarders.

An automated concrete 3D printer was used to print the modules in 15 hours, and they were put together on-site with a special bonding agent. This combination of new sustainable materials created from industrial waste had multiple functionalities. Biranchi Panda, an assistant professor at IITG spoke about the special features of this 3D printed security post: “This project focused on the aesthetic potential of digital construction technology while using sustainable construction materials. The material and surface texture show the amazing aesthetic possibilities of concrete printing technology used in this security post’s construction.”

Speaking about Industry 4.0 as a priority of G20 under India’s presidency, IIT Guwahati’s acting director, Parameswar K Iyer, noted the importance of preparing India’s young people to compete on an international level. He suggested that the tech industry can make a significant contribution to this by collaborating with academia, offering entrepreneurial support and utilizing cutting-edge technologies including 3D printing to create location-specific designs and cost-effective structures.