Additive manufacturing of sustainable biomimetic reefs for the conservation of marine ecosystems

Objective: Development of new strategies for the fabrication of artificial reefs, supported by circularity models that allow the reuse of waste streams that are biocompatible with the marine environment and promote sustainable and clean production models for a transition toward an intelligent, flexible, and automated construction sector. Within CORAL, the research proposes new nature-based eco-engineering solutions for coastal and marine biodiversity restoration, grounded in three synergistic pillars: (1) Circular Economy; (2) Bio-inspired Designs; (3) Advanced and flexible manufacturing techniques leveraged through the concept of eco-construction. The main challenges and innovations are: the valorization of local waste, the design of sustainable and printable mortars (OPC), and biomimicry through 3D printing for the restoration of coastal ecosystems. AIMEN's rol: Design, development, and characterization of sustainable mortar formulations (OPC and upcycling local construction waste) and their optimization (viscosity, pumpability, flowability) for their use in the 3D printing of artificial reefs.