This design thesis is an assessment of the tectonic capabilities and applications of large format 3D printing, given the current available and practiced technologies. This review consists of an analysis of the technical specifications and limitations of the various forms and methods of 3D printing at all scales, followed by an in-depth analysis of technologies that have been adopted and employed at an architectural scale. A number of case studies are assessed to create a typology of tectonic types created by employing 3D printing technologies. These tectonic types: Holistic/Homogenous, Complementary/Integrative, Structural, and Sculptural are then tested to see how they can be incorporated into the design process. This study culminates in a design project that utilizes these technologies and tectonic types in a higher educational facility focused on fabrication and continued research into 3D printed construction. The design acts as a prototypical model for the implementation of 3D printed technologies into the design and construction process, specifically focused on educational institutions on existing campuses. Advancements in this technology and strategies of application have yielded enough capabilities for this design assessment to be formed.

Petrographic and age analysis of sandstones, detailed structural analysis and gravity modeling were conducted to investigate the origin of the Gondwana Sequence in the Timor Region, and to better constrain the tectonic evolution of the active Banda Arc. Our field studies and U/Pb zircon age analysis helped assign most units to either Asian or Australian affinity. Detrital zircon from uplifted Banda forearc units (Asian affinity) have U/Pb ages as young as 80 Ma (Standley and Harris, in press). In contrast, analysis of detrital zircon from Gondwana Sequence sandstones accreted to the Banda Arc from Savu to East Timor are no younger than 234.6 ± 4.0 Ma, and have peak ages at 301 Ma and 1873 Ma with some Archean ages. These age constraints provide a reliable new application for distinguishing rocks units as Asian or Australian affinity. Petrographic and provenance analysis of Triassic Australian affinity greywacke units yield QFL abundances consistent with a proximal, syn-rift, intracratonic or recycled orogen source, from the northeast. The Mount Isa region to the east has the most similar peak U/Pb zircon ages to the Gondwana Sequence. However an extension of this terrane to the west, which would have rifted away during Jurassic breakup, is required to account for the immaturity of the sandstones. Structural measurements of Gondwana Sequence units accreted to the Banda Arc show a northwest - southeast paleo and current maximum stress direction, and vergence mostly to the southeast. Individual thrust sheets are 3 km thick and account for 50% total shortening. The deformational grain of Timor is a hybrid of the east-west strike of Banda Arc and northeast-southwest strike of incoming Australian continental margin structures. The Banda forearc, which is 200 km wide north of Savu, progressively narrows towards East Timor. In order to constrain the location of the forearc, three area-balanced structural models were tested against the gravity field of the Banda Arc. The best fit model requires internal shortening and under-stacking of the forearc beneath the arc, which may account for the cessation of volcanism and uplifted coral terraces north of East Timor.

Coral terrace surveys and U-series ages of coral and mollusk shells yield a surface uplift rate of ~0.6 m/ka for Kisar Island. The small island is located NE of Timor in the active Banda Arc of Indonesia. Based on this rate, Kisar first emerged from the ocean as recently as ~450 ka. Terrace surveys show warping that follows a pattern of east-west striking folds, which are along strike of thrust-related folds of similar wavelength imaged by a seismic reflection profile just offshore. This deformation shows that the emergence of Kisar can be attributed to forearc closure along the south-dipping Kisar Thrust. Terrace morphology and coral ages are best explained by recognizing major terraces as mostly growth terraces and minor terraces as mostly erosional into older growth terraces. All reliable and referable coral U-series ages are marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e (118-128 ka), which encrusted the coast up to 60 m elevation. All coral samples are found below 6 m elevation, but a tridacna (giant clam) shell in growth position at 95 m elevation yields an age of 195 +/- 31 ka, which corresponds to MIS Stage 7. Loose deposits of coral fragments found on top of low terraces between 8 and 20 m elevation yield ages of < 100 years and may represent paleotsunami deposits from previously undocumented seismic activity in the region. The metamorphic rocks of Kisar, Indonesia, which correlate with the Aileu Metamorphic Complex of East Timor, record the breakup of a supercontinent with associated rifting, metamorphism from arc-continent collision, and the growth and exhumation of a new orogenic belt. The protoliths of these rocks are mostly psammitic with minor basaltic and felsic igneous rocks. Geochemical analyses of mafic meta-igneous rocks show rift affinities that are likely related to rifting of Gondwana and later breakup in the Jurassic Period. The Aileu Complex is overlain by younger sedimentary rocks deposited on the northern passive margin of Australia, which collided with the Banda Arc in latest Miocene time. This collision caused metamorphism of the distal edge of the continental margin rocks at conditions of 600-700°C at 6-8 kbar and up to 700-850°C at 8-9 kbar locally, corresponding to depths from 25 to 30 km. These rocks were then rapidly uplifted and exhumed. U-Pb analysis of detrital zircons indicates a Permian to Late Jurassic age of the sedimentary sources and confirm an Australian provenance. The timing of metamorphism of the Aileu Complex is poorly constrained by previous studies, of which only a white mica cooling age of 5.36 +/- 0.05 Ma proved reliable. Prior apatite fission track studies show that all tracks are partially to completely annealed suggesting recent rapid cooling. A domal geometry of the island above the sea floor is expressed in the pinnacle shape. Foliations on Kisar Island generally strike parallel to the coastline, which is may be suggestive of doming. The Kisar Thrust, which is imaged in offshore seismic reflection data, may indicate that the doming corresponds to diapirism into the hinge of an active thrust-related anticline or diapirism of buoyant continental material along the thrust itself.

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