3D Concrete Printing (2019-02)¶

3D concrete printing is an innovative construction method that was recently introduced to the construction industry and has proven to be beneficial in terms of optimizing construction time, cost, design flexibility, and error reduction as well as being environmentally friendly. It involves fabricating a predesigned building element in 2D layers on top of each other, the repetition of which results in a 3D model. The concrete, which is poured out of a printing nozzle, does not require any formwork or subsequent vibration [1]. The technology of 3D printing started in the 1980s [2], but was only introduced to the construction industry in the mid-1990s by researchers at the University of Southern California [3]. The research team has produced extensive material on the topic including developing several machines for research on fabrication using various types of materials. These machines include an XYZ gantry system, a nozzle assembly with three motion control components, and a six-axis coordinated motion control system [4]. The developments in the field remained almost steady until about 2012 [3] when several other parties began investigating different approaches and technologies related to 3D printing. The University of Loughborough has presented a pioneering work in concrete printing [3]. Moreover, the Chinese company, WinSun, displayed its expertise in 3D printing by printing 10 houses within 24 hours, with each house costing a mere $5000 [5]. WinSun then took it to a higher level and printed a five-story building which is currently the highest 3D-printed structure [6].