Construction in the Modern Era (2024-09)¶

3D printing is revolutionizing construction by enabling the additive manufacturing of structures from digital models. Over the last ten years the in-ternational engineering agency Bollinger+Grohmann has been involved in vari-ous projects exploring the use of 3D printing in construction, from research to prototyping and in-situ or off-site construction. These applications include the prefabrication of modules for fitting rooms in a shopping center or the design of a pedestrian bridge that bypasses the limitations of printed materials and demon-strates the wide range of possibilities offered by this technology for the creation of innovative and sustainable architecture, while at the same time highlighting the need for scientific advances and close collaboration between all those in-volved in construction on a wider scale. These case studies illustrate the ad-vantages of 3D printing in construction such as flexibility, reduced workload, speed, material savings and innovation in the creation of complex, durable archi-tectural structures. The automation through 3D printing machines is transform-ing both the way we design and the construction process along the value chain, redistributing tasks between human operators and robots. However, challenges remain, particularly in terms of material resistance and certification to construc-tion standards. Collaboration between architects, engineers, manufacturers, and researchers is crucial to advancing this technology.