Katy Bradford is on a mission to revolutionize the construction industry.
Bradford, a doctoral candidate at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Department of Energy Building Technologies Office, or BTO, Innovation in Buildings fellow, is the founder of Cassette Construction, a company in the newest cohort of Innovation Crossroads, a DOE Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program node at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
As an Innovation Crossroads fellow, Bradford and her company will receive technical, financial and networking support to successfully advance the company’s products to the marketplace. Bradford’s fellowship is co-sponsored by BTO and DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Office, or AMMTO.
The construction industry is facing surging housing demand, declining productivity and increased demand for lower embodied carbon building materials over traditional building materials. Building construction alone contributes approximately 9% of global carbon emissions, equivalent to three billion tons of CO2 annually. The industry is also facing a significant labor shortage, with 41% of the workforce projected to retire by 2031. These combined factors represent a significant and sustained threat to the United States housing market until new methods and technologies can be leveraged to counteract them.
Bradford and Cassette Construction offer a compelling solution to these challenges.
“Cassette wall panels address these issues through offsite additive manufacturing with low-carbon materials,” Bradford said.
Cassette panels are prefabricated, containing components that combine structural supports, insulation and cladding materials. These panels serve as ready-made units for building walls, floors and roofs.
By using bio-based materials derived from rapidly growing plants and waste, these panels are not only cost-effective but also carbon-negative.
“During Innovation Crossroads, Cassette Construction will develop our prototypes to full-scale, leading to the creation of our minimum viable product,” she said.
The program provides her with access to ORNL’s state-of-the-art facilities, enabling the design and fabrication of a comprehensive additive manufacturing system tailored for offsite construction of wall panels. This system will be rigorously tested to ensure the panels meet performance standards for sustainable, affordable housing.
This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Katy Bradford: Cassette approach offers compelling construction solution" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news