SPL-ICE

AI Quick Summary

Urban noise pollution and bad interior acoustics are ubiquitous problems with direct negative implications for human health and well-being. This proposal aims to develop the proprietary fabrication method for full-scale demonstrators of highly efficient acoustic building components. The robotic fabrication method is based on recycled industrial ice waste and is an inexpensive and ecological system for highly customizable and aesthetic acoustic solutions. Our project is aiming to develop customizable building components for the improved acoustic design of indoor and outdoor spaces called SPL-ICE. Our IP is an innovative robotic fabrication method that allows the economic and ecological production of ‘tunable’ acoustic building components. The acoustic function of SPL-ICE is due to the unique geometric structure: the interconnected network of cavities of variable size formed by a robotically fabricated intricate structure of ice. The ice formwork is suitable for casting variable compounds based on mineral binders. The unique advantages of ice formwork are the absence of material waste, and autonomous demoulding of the complex geometry – the ice simply thaws away once the mineral binders have hardened.To optimize energy use, ice is to be reclaimed from sources of industrial waste, e.g. hockey ice rinks. A single ice-skating facility produces constant-quality ground ice waste of 60 cub. m per week - more than 5 MWh of embedded energy. Our project can demonstrate a radical approach to the circular economy, reclaiming the rejected energy for an up-cycling fabrication process. In our project, we identify at least three beneficiaries: construction machinery providers as the potential implementation partners, prefabricated concrete manufacturers as the local users of the technology, and construction project owners as the end-product users. Our NPV assumes 1.8M CHF of profit from our original equipment leasing in the next 6 years. The project leader is Dr. Vasily Sitnikov, senior researcher at the chair of Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich. At the current stage, our project is supported by Holcim Schweiz AG as our main raw-material supplier, which has agreed to contribute 10% of the project funding. The goal of our collaboration with Holcim is to minimize the carbon footprint of the end product while improving its mechanical properties. With the support of CBI Booster, we are aiming to produce 4 large-scale demonstrators measuring up to 200x100x50 cm. The demonstrators will be presented at the Zurich Design Biennale in September 2023. The project will allow us to conduct additional acoustic measurements and test low-carbon mineral compounds for the end product. The project requires 2 months of work in development and experimental fabrication. We expect, that our participation in this event would promote our product within the Swiss design community, and would provide a possibility of a pilot project. Our participation in the CBI Booster will allow us to validate our business idea within a larger poll of experts, and to advance towards establishing a collaboration with an industry partner.

Project Idea Metadata

Project Idea Name: SPL-ICE
Date: 4/3/2023 10:41:49 AM
Administrators:

Project Idea Description

Our project is aiming to develop customizable building components for the improved acoustic design of indoor and outdoor spaces called SPL-ICE. Our IP is an innovative robotic fabrication method that allows the economic and ecological production of ‘tunable’ acoustic building components.

The acoustic function of SPL-ICE is due to the unique geometric structure: the interconnected network of cavities of variable size formed by a robotically fabricated intricate structure of ice. The ice formwork is suitable for casting variable compounds based on mineral binders. The unique advantages of ice formwork are the absence of material waste, and autonomous demoulding of the complex geometry – the ice simply thaws away once the mineral binders have hardened.

To optimize energy use, ice is to be reclaimed from sources of industrial waste, e.g. hockey ice rinks. A single ice-skating facility produces constant-quality ground ice waste of 60 cub. m per week - more than 5 MWh of embedded energy. Our project can demonstrate a radical approach to the circular economy, reclaiming the rejected energy for an up-cycling fabrication process.

In our project, we identify at least three beneficiaries: construction machinery providers as the potential implementation partners, prefabricated concrete manufacturers as the local users of the technology, and construction project owners as the end-product users. Our NPV assumes 1.8M CHF of profit from our original equipment leasing in the next 6 years.

The project leader is Dr. Vasily Sitnikov, senior researcher at the chair of Digital Building Technologies, ETH Zurich. At the current stage, our project is supported by Holcim Schweiz AG as our main raw-material supplier, which has agreed to contribute 10% of the project funding. The goal of our collaboration with Holcim is to minimize the carbon footprint of the end product while improving its mechanical properties.

With the support of CBI Booster, we are aiming to produce 4 large-scale demonstrators measuring up to 200x100x50 cm. The demonstrators will be presented at the Zurich Design Biennale in September 2023. The project will allow us to conduct additional acoustic measurements and test low-carbon mineral compounds for the end product. The project requires 2 months of work in development and experimental fabrication. We expect, that our participation in this event would promote our product within the Swiss design community, and would provide a possibility of a pilot project. Our participation in the CBI Booster will allow us to validate our business idea within a larger poll of experts, and to advance towards establishing a collaboration with an industry partner.