Costco on the East side

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Cagary

These materials, I suppose, could be imported in massive quantities to bring the material and shipping prices down, but you're still not going to have a totally "homegrown" industry on the Big Island unless someone comes up with a way of using lava as a material that can be used by a 3 D printer.

---

There is a lot of discussion about using the existing basalt on Mars as a building material for future missions to that planet:
http://www.gizmag.com/martian-architecture/28999/

Hawaiian lava is mostly basalt:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_eruption

HI-SEAS just completed an endurance study on Mauna Kea which simulated living conditions in a small scale colony on Mars. Perhaps next they could experiment with basalt construction materials. With the right formulation they may come up with a mixture that would not only withstand Martian weather, but Big Island weather conditions as well, which would provide not only Mars but Hawaii with a local and abundant building material. Then with some modification it may be possible to create a very fine mixture to use in 3-D printers.