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#1 2018-03-17 11:51:42
- louis
- Member
- From: UK
- Registered: 2008-03-24
- Posts: 7,208
Construction on Mars
An interesting video examining some construction and building concepts for Mars:
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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#2 2023-12-03 08:41:41
- tahanson43206
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- Registered: 2018-04-27
- Posts: 19,748
Re: Construction on Mars
It is time to bring this topic back into view. Louis created the topic in 2018, and it has been sitting undeveloped since then.
My Hacienda is a topic dedicated to realizing the vision of Louis for Sagan City on Mars.
My Hacienda is laid out in a structure if 7800 kilometer square plots, with a theme of specializations and Division of Labor sufficient to sustain a first tier standard of living for the residents and guests who visit the city.
In thinking about Plot 0007 (chosen at random from 567 available assigned plots) it has become apparent that a great deal of construction activity is going to be required to develop the reactor and all the supporting functions it needs.
It has been proposed that the reactor might be located above the surface, while all the human habitation and work spaces will be underground for protection from the natural radiation. An advantage of the above ground location is the natural opportunity to deliver power throughout the city using above ground power distribution systems, similar to the ones that are a familiar sight on Earth.
This topic is about Construction on Mars, and Louis led off with a video link, so I'm planning to follow that link.
(th)
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#3 2023-12-03 09:50:33
- Calliban
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- From: Northern England, UK
- Registered: 2019-08-18
- Posts: 3,823
Re: Construction on Mars
The ice dome is probaby the most practical suggestion from the youtube video. But I think the 3D printing robot is redundant and an unneccesary complication. It would be easier just to inflate a double layered plastic dome and fill the gap between the two domes with mud from the top. When it freezes, you remove the inner and outer plastic layers and cover the whole structure with a thick layer of regolith. You can then spray the inside with a regolith based plaster which will provide insulation. The thick overburden of regolith will prevent the ice from subliming if it is kept cold. A dome like this could be build within a day.
If we are employing robots to build habitats, why not an earth bag dome built over an inflatable formwork? Or a machine that lays adobe bricks or sorted rocks to build up a gravity stabilised dome? Martian soil can be made to form strong bricks just by compressing it. We need a machine that can sieve the soil and then compress fines into a mould to form a brick. We then stack the bricks around the formwork, with a thin layer of soil between each. This builds up a dome that can be covered with regolith to balance internal air pressure.
After this is done and the dome is pressurised, we paint the interior with lime or even a regolith based mud. This dries to form a hard plaster. Inner rooms can then be built using adobe bricks. If ceilings are vaulted, then we wont need floor boards. Just arched chambers with loose regolith filling gaps and an extra layer of adobe bricks, with upper floors being topped off with stone paving to spread loads. Something like this:
Last edited by Calliban (2023-12-03 10:22:22)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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