Advancing 3D Concrete Printing for Extreme Environments (2024-04)¶

3D concrete printing (3DCP) holds immense promise in addressing the global shortage of affordable housing and facilitating construction in extreme environments, both on Earth and beyond. Alaska, renowned for its challenging terrestrial conditions, serves as an ideal testing ground to push the boundaries of this technology. This work introduces and explores the design considerations for 3DCP construction in the extreme Alaskan environment, supported by a comprehensive design platform. The platform incorporates modules for generation, slicing, simulation, optimization, and construction simulation, seamlessly integrated into the Rhino and Grasshopper software. To validate the design solutions, a wall and an enclosure solution were fabricated, taking into account the unique challenges posed by Alaska. This work verifies the effectiveness of these design solutions and delves into the key challenges and benefits associated with employing 3DCP in construction under extreme conditions.