Discrete selective robotic rammed earth

Abstract This manuscript presents the development of Discrete Selective Robotic Rammed Earth, a novel robotic fabrication method that advances the use of earthen and regenerative materials in automated construction. This work aims to promote more sustainable construction practices and to respond to the urgent need for climate action within the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. The presented technique advances the integration of automation into earthen construction by adapting the standardized rammed-earth method into a robotic fabrication process that eliminates the need for conventional formwork and deploys robots for the labor-intensive materialization process. Our technique combines the strengths of selective particle-bed additive manufacturing techniques with those of the well-established rammed-earth construction system. The approach relies on a discrete design method that organizes material and geometry into controllable volumetric units. This discrete design-to-fabrication method is tailored to the capacities and constraints of rammed earth. This work demonstrates how robotic fabrication can replace the conventional formwork in rammed-earth construction while overcoming its geometric limitations by shifting the complexity from geometry to the process of digital materialization.