Commentary (2018-09)¶

It is often claimed that three-dimensional (3D) printing – known in the trade as ‘additive manufacturing’– will change the way structures and buildings are constructed, from architecturally driven geometric forms to functional, low-cost housing and emergency shelters. Additive manufacturing uses a combination of materials science, architecture and design, computation and robotics. The aim of this manufacturing technology is to shorten the supply chain in the construction industry through the autonomous production of building components directly from digital models with a minimum amount of human intervention and temporary works. The key for its successful development and implementation is industry stakeholder collaboration involving materials science, architecture/ design, computation and robotics. There are fundamental interdependencies between the materials, the printing technologies, and both the scale and geometric complexity of any printed structure. For a given project, by understanding and optimising the mix design for fresh rheology of materials and providing sufficient adhesion/cohesion of the layer interface, the designer can incorporate geometric complexity and aim to minimise temporary works.