3MT Finalist - Muhammad Farzan Khan — Transcript

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1. 0:00from the Faculty of Engineering and
2. 0:01Applied Science.
3. 0:03His topic this evening is Build Without
4. 0:06Guilt, Carbon Neutral 3D Printing in
5. 0:09Construction.
6. 0:17Every building around us is permanent
7. 0:20and is strong.
8. 0:22But do you know, behind that strength,
9. 0:25there is a hidden cost.
10. 0:27Concrete is the backbone of modern
11. 0:29construction, yet its key ingredient,
12. 0:32cement, is responsible for nearly 8% of
13. 0:35global carbon dioxide emissions
14. 0:37annually.
15. 0:39Carbon dioxide is invisible,
16. 0:41but its impact is undeniable.
17. 0:44Every ton we release wraps our planet in
18. 0:47a thicker blanket of heat.
19. 0:50So, while we build these cities for
20. 0:51people, we are quietly damaging the
21. 0:54planet.
22. 0:55So, the real question becomes,
23. 0:57can we build without the guilt?
24. 1:01Yes, we can. My research focuses on
25. 1:04constructing buildings using additive
26. 1:07manufacturing, also known as 3D printing
27. 1:10with carbon neutral concrete.
28. 1:12But, with our critical difference,
29. 1:15I'm not reducing cement,
30. 1:17I am eliminating it.
31. 1:19Instead of cement, I will use non-carbon
32. 1:22waste-based material such as sawdust and
33. 1:26geopolymer-based binders.
34. 1:30Traditional construction depends on
35. 1:32large-scale labor, complex supply chain,
36. 1:35and a long construction timeline.
37. 1:37And these challenges become severe
38. 1:40in northern and remote areas of Canada.
39. 1:44Many indigenous communities are living
40. 1:46in overcrowded and aging homes.
41. 1:49But housing should never depend on where
42. 1:51you live.
43. 1:52This is exactly where my research
44. 1:54innovation truly begins. Think about it
45. 1:56this way.
46. 1:57There's a grumpy old man making a chair
47. 1:59in a furniture factory. It will produce
48. 2:01some waste called sawdust. Now you see
49. 2:04the big power plant running on coals,
50. 2:06they will produce some waste called
51. 2:07geopolymus.
52. 2:09I will take these two waste materials
53. 2:11and combine them in carefully measured
54. 2:13proportion to create a carbon neutral
55. 2:16concrete.
56. 2:17Now this concrete is then fed into the
57. 2:193D printer which deposit it layer by
58. 2:22layer following a digital design.
59. 2:25And within a day you can see the walls
60. 2:28of a home taking shape right before your
61. 2:30eyes.
62. 2:31This technology makes it possible for
63. 2:33one operating team to build an entire
64. 2:36neighborhood.
65. 2:37They will faster,
66. 2:39safer and cheaper. They are fire
67. 2:42resistant, water resistant and winter
68. 2:45resistant as well. Yes, you heard that
69. 2:48right.
70. 2:49It removes barriers that have existed
71. 2:51for decades. It means that whether you
72. 2:54live in a major city, a northern
73. 2:56community or the most remote corner of
74. 2:59Canada,
75. 3:00you are counted. You matter and you all
76. 3:04deserve a safe and dignified home.
77. 3:07This research supports Canada's goal of
78. 3:09reaching net zero carbon dioxide
79. 3:11emissions by 2050
80. 3:14while addressing one of the most human
81. 3:16challenges of our time,
82. 3:18housing with dignity. Thank you.