Giving Shape and Functionality to the Matter (2023-01)¶

A fundamental modification of the construction is occurring with the adoption of processes digitalization. In the construction field, quality is often associated with cost, making the use of advanced materials not competitive with the most basic concrete. On the other hand, as the standard specifications increase with time to sustain safety issues or customer needs, construction has never been more complex. This complexity is nowadays highlighted by the multiplication of the layers, one for each request for thermic or acoustic insulation which makes the concrete part of the total cost less and less significant. In this environment, digital construction should not aim to replace precast elements but rather bring functionality to thematter, such as insulation, leading to a reduction in the trend of the addition of layers and therefore leading to a significant reduction of the cost. Moreover, the decrease in the total amount of material used will have a higher environmental impact than a substitution of concrete for so-called greener products. Currently limited by its cost when compared the traditional construction methods, the improvement of the technology from the robotic to the software will lead to a competitive technology for specific elements such as façade elements or structural columns. As the cost of 3D printed elements is independent of their complexity, as moulds are not required, digital construction allows architects to develop new ideas or to bring back brilliant ideas from past forgotten for economical reasons. To allow this revolution to occur, chemists, architects, engineers, and software developers must work together to overcome the challenges facing digital construction.