CONSTRUCTION

The first thing we needed to decide on when it came to our design was the material choice. If we can’t choose a material the design will be pointless. We had three different categories of materials to choose from that Endicott had access to: 3D Printer Filament, Cement or Wood. Next would be the design process of what our seawall would look like. There were a few designs we thought of such as making it a bunch of hexagons or a bunch of circles, there was also a thought of using a wave like design. As for size, this one was the toughest as it had to be big enough to support a bunch of sea life but small enough in order to fit onto the 3D printers.

For material all three of these had their own issues but we went with 3D Filament in the end. Concrete would, most likely, be the most durable of the three materials, but would also be a giant pain as we would have to design a mold for it with holes at an angle. As for wood, Endicott only has access to Laser Etchers/Cutters meaning we would have to glue the pieces together, which wouldn’t hold up when put in the water. Now with our chosen category we had to choose a filament type. PLA is your standard filament but it is, unfortunately, not suitable for water usage due to it not being environmentally friendly.

For the overall design, we went with the beehive/hexagon design for two different reasons, effective usage of space on the design itself and around it. A hexagon would allow the designs to be placed right next to each other without there being a lot of space between them unlike a circle design. The interior design would also be most affected by the hexagonal shape as we can maximize the space used while keeping it (roughly) the same size.

Left image is the primary design and the right image is the fusion design

Our primary design has a hexagon acting as the base of our design. On it there are six holes where marine life can live once the wall is placed out on the beach. These six holes are slightly titled at an angle so as to keep water trapped within. There is also a hole in the center of the seawall where, if needed, we can attach a rope or hook to. We will also be keeping the 3D prints rougher design in order to keep the nook and crannies in order for tiny sea life and algae to grip onto our living sea wall. We will be using PETG filament rather than PLA filament as it is not only environmentally friendly but it is also very resistant to sea water. Our second design (Fig. 7) will consist of a fusion of the outside of our design and the wave-like holes of the 2024 design. It will also be made out of the same material as our primary design.

The Living Seawall

How We Can Give Oceanlife New Homes

CONSTRUCTION