3D Printing in Construction

• 3D printing in construction involves concrete 3D printing

What is 3D Printing?

• 3D printing creates physical objects by depositing materials layer upon layer based on a digital model.
• It requires software, hardware, and specific materials working in conjunction.
• Charles W. invented the first 3D printer in 1983.
• It is also referred to as additive manufacturing.

History

• Charles Hull developed the first printer in 1984.
• Experimental application using 3D printing in the construction industry started in the early 1990s.
• This technology can be used to reproduce historical building ornamental components.
• It can also be applied to spall damage repair on concrete roads.
• NASA is interested in the potential of 3D construction in space.

Concrete 3D Printing

• High-performance concrete that allows more geometric control is generally used.
• Concrete printing uses SLA printers, which are the first 3D printer that was developed by Charles Hull.
• Selective solidification (SLA) refers to how a solid object is made from liquid by applying energy to solidify the liquid layer, one layer at a time.

Principles of 3D Printing

• Manufacturing complexity is free - printing a complex object does not require more time, money, and skill.
• Variety is free - different geometries can be operated by the same printer each time, differing from needing re-calibration for new types of objects.
• No assembly is required: multi-part objects can be 3D printed in one shot, eliminating the need for long assembly lines.
• Zero lead time: on-the-spot manufacturing makes it possible for local companies and individuals to print custom objects on demand.
• Unlimited design space: printers can create shapes that are hard or impossible to create with traditional machines.
• Zero skill manufacturing: calibrating a printer to create an object requires less operator skill, as the process is almost fully automated.
• Compact, portable manufacturing: 3D printers have more manufacturing capacity than traditional machines.
• Less waste by-product: as an additive manufacturing technique, zero or less waste is produced.
• Infinite shades of materials: 3D printing enables printing with multiple materials to create new types of materials and geometries.
• Precise physical replication: objects can be scanned and printed in the same shape.

Benefits of 3D Printing for Construction

• Benefits include rebuilding cities after natural disasters, providing shelter for the homeless, and building more sustainable habitats.
• 3D printing can reduce waste, as the worldwide construction waste currently totals over 1 Billion tons annually, expected to double by 2025.
• 3D printing is an additive manufacturing process that uses only as much material as necessary.
• Combining 3D printing with prefabrication and lean construction could lead to waste-zero building.
• 3D printing helps reduce human error because the construction process would be more programmable and automated.
• There would likely be fewer worker injuries and facilities as 3D printing is incorporated on-site.
• Architects can build complex designs that would be complex, expensive, or labor-intensive to create by conventional construction means.
• 3D concrete printing enables any shape to be made.
• Organic shapes can be made, being a one-to-one copy from its design.
• Buildings can be constructed from the ground up within a matter of days.
• It offers faster timeframes than conventional construction that can take months or years.
• 3D printing can save about 60% of time on the job site and 80% on labor.

Challenges of 3D Printing

• High costs, quality control, and labor shortage are significant challenges.
• Weather can amplify issues, and environmental factors could impact the construction. Additionally, quality control could also be hard to manage without supervision.
• A more specific skill set is needed to pull from a slimmer niche group of candidates, even considering the shortages.
• A drawback to regulations is that 3D printing remains impacted in the construction industry, even as they make the news.
• There is much uncertainty using printers instead of humans for certain construction tasks.
• Challenges include: material, architecture and design, 3D printer, construction management, stakeholders, regulation and liability, and software.

Benefits of Sustainability

• Quicker construction, low cost, geometric freedom, short supply chain, and better productivity result in constructability.
• Sustainability includes less formwork, a safer site, social structure, less waste, and an eco-friendly structure.

3D Concrete Printing

• A customized cement blend is mixed with water to form the 3D concrete printing material.
• This material is loaded into the 3D printer control panel.
• The design plans are loaded to control the print path of the nozzle.
• The concrete component is additively manufactured, layer after layer.
• This is an emerging technology that combines digital technologies, allowing free-form construction without formwork.
• It's a type of additive manufacturing technique, building a predesigned building element in 2D layers that result in a 3D model.
• The concrete is poured out of a printing nozzle.
• The concrete poured does not require any formwork or subsequent vibration.

Leading Processes

• The extrusion-based Single Deposition Nozzle Concrete Printer occurs similarly to fused deposition modeling.
• A powder deposition process occurs where the "ink" is deposited on a powder bed.

Extrusion Based 3D Concrete Printing

• 3DCP is similar to the fused deposition modeling used in polymer and metal technologies.
• Contour crafting is one of the proprietary terminologies used for layered fabrication technology.
• It is based on extruding a cement-based concrete against a trowel that allows a smooth surface finish created through the build-up of subsequent layers.

Example

• The two-story villa 3D printed by Huashang Tengda company is in Tongzhou (a district of Beijing).
• First structure built entirely on-site in 45 days, covering an area of 400 m2.
• The villa is made of reinforced concrete, is .25m thick, can withstand an earthquake that measures 8 on the Richter scale.
• Little input was needed from manual workers as technology specialists oversaw via computers.
• Walls are printed with rebar and plumbing embedded in them on-site.

Buildings

• In 3D printed buildings the ceiling and slabs are precast and installed in the building.

Powder Bed Based 3D Concrete Printing

• A thin layer of powder is spread over the powder bed surface at first.
• Binder droplets are selectively applied on the powder layer by print-head, causing powder particles to bind with each other.
• Binders are deposited only in places where the building material should become solid, and the rest is kept loose and removed at a later stage.
• D-shape 3D printing construction technology is used in this process.

Y Box Pavillion

• The Y-Box Pavilion was designed by Pitupong Chaowakul from Supermachine Studio.
• It was created using powder bed and inkjet head 3D printing and 3D extrusion printing.
• Powder bed and inkjet head 3D printing creates art objects that require meticulous detail.
• 3D Extrusion printing is for constructing structural building elements.
• It took three months to 3D print the entire cave construction.
• The six columns in the Y-Box Pavilion twist upward in different styles that resemble natural stalagmites.
• It is adorned with a round geodesic lamp, which illuminates the interior.
• Interior is lit by a 70cm geodesic lamp.

World's First 3D Printed Bridge Opens in Spain

• Madrid opened the first 3D printed bridge to the public on December 14.
• It was designed by the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) in a process that took a year and a half from conception.
• The parametric design allowed for optimal distribution of material.
• This reduced the amount of waste by recycling the raw material during production.
• The material is used only where it's needed.
• Maintains its porosity due to the application of generative algorithms.
• The structure is printed in micro-reinforced concrete, measures 12 meters in length and 1.75 meters wide.

3D Printed Research Habitats for Mars

• Bjarke Ingels Group has collaborated with NASA and ICON to create Mars Dune Alpha.
• It's a 3D-printed research habitat to provide long-duration habitation for astronauts to Mars.
• The 1,700 sq ft structure is located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
• It's designed by the award-winning architecture firm and soon will be home to NASA's future crew.
• NASA has begun recruiting for the Mars mission analog study inside this habitat, commencing in Fall 2022.
• ICON received funding from NASA to launch "Project Olympus" for space-based construction.

Mars Science Center

• Proposals on the red plant explore how humanity can create new realms in outer space.
• In 2017, a team of engineers, scientists, and designers from the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center with BIG architectural office simulated Martian conditions right here on Earth.
• Different building strategies were tested here to see what can best withstand Mars' radiation.
• Mars Science City, appropriately named, was built with 3D techniques using sand from the Emirati desert.
• Laboratories are there to study food, water, and energy; landscapes for agricultural and food studies; and a museum.
• The walls are 3D printed using sand from the Emirati Desert.
• Spaces will be outfitted with advanced technologies allowing researchers to test construction and living strategies under Martian radiation levels.
• Plans are in for a team to live within the constructed environment for a full year.

3D Printed Residential Village

• In Sunflower village, Valentino Gareri Atelier joined forces with Steve Lastro and Delos to create a residential area based on environmental designs and technology.
• There is a sunflower orientation to the village plan and contains almost 20 houses.
• The one-story houses are made by a 3D Concrete-Printing technology which dictates the urban form.

Sustainable Planning

• Each house is designed to be energy-efficient and uses photovoltaic frameless tiles to create energy on the roofs.
• The PV panels allocated are only for the roofs which have the best sun orientation possible and the energy accumulated is then shared with the village.
• The arrangement of the houses is geometrically designed to promote air-flow.

Construction Process

• Houses are arranged to central construction point with concrete-printing machinery.
• Once houses are constructed, the center point will be cleaned-up and made into public communal space.
• Main central service lines would be available to each home.

India's First 3D Printed Home

• 3D printed home costs at just approximately 5 to 5.5 Lakhs, a good 20% of a normal 2BHK apartment.
• Tvasta initially created a 600-sq ft unit that also included Habitat for Humanity.
• Tvasta has a 3D Printer which can potentially produce a 2,000 sq, ft home that would cost far less both in materials and waste production.

APIS Cor Printed House in Russia

• A Russian house was built within just 24 hours being made through 400 square foot measures.
• The total cost of the house was $10,000, highlighting its future 3D printing potential.
• Using nothing but a printer, the entire mobile structure was built leading it to be quite revolutionary.
• Walls and structure were produced by walls and foundation with concrete features.
• With the addition of paint, the cost of the house totalled $10,134.

3D Printing Eco-Building

• Uses soil as primary material in creating 3D printing architecture.
• Inspired by Potter Wasp, World Advanced Saving Project has been developed since 2012 based on circular economy and fabrication.
• WASP has 3D homes since 2021 in shortest possible time being multi-printer and using WASP on site.

Wasp Eco-Housing

• TECLA is circular housing project generated for reuse, with materials obtained from local areas.
• Using Crane WASP, innovation is at an all time high, being a change-up in eco-housing.

Sourced Clay

• Allows use of biodegradable and km natural materials, promoting near zero production of waste.
• Adapts the houses to local community via the use of WASP's Maker Economy Starter Kit.
• Accelerates 3D Construction, the entire structure will be produced at once.

Applications

• Winsun from China, created a spray nozzle in 2005, also continuous 3D Printer in 2008.
• Dubai Winsun built the first 3D printed office with 17 work-days and labor down 80% waste production down 60%.
• 3D Printhuset in Denmark first constructed a building in 2017 with 24 hours constructing a 400-square foot home.
• Geopolymer concrete was used, utilizing nets to maintain temperature.

3D Printed Roofing

• Engineers are using printing to create affordable roofing to underdeveloped countries.
• Terra Cotta tiles in production are made through recycled plastic used.
• It is more affordable as an option in comparison to traditional metal costs.
• It can cover 12 x 12 feet without additional support for economically challenged communities.

Mixing 3D Printing w/ Local Materials

• Using construction materials makes the most sense, colonizing space of course is a big plus.
• Ai Space Prototype has winning proposal from NASA centered contest.
• By using current proposals, Marsha uses basalt fiber and bioplastic made from Martian Rocks.
• Recycle polymer composite surpassed NASA strength via durability tests.
• Research made to obtain information to shelters on Moon and on 3D's with Lunar Concrete.

Other Factors

• Using powdery soil on surface, such as Lunar Regolith has strong benefits.
• Researchers found that using geopolymer creates similar products that may reduce to need for water.
• Coming out of print, material proved stronger and maintained quality.

Environment

• A search for alternative materials has been paid to help reduce construction and help promote sustainable living.

Building the Future w/ 3D Printing

• Building is emerging as a solution for architecture in disaster-hit regions, to sustain construction.
• Easier to calculate the volume of construction allowing less total material waste.
• Can fabricate structures faster compared to traditional structures, saving both costs and time.
• Mightly Buildings can now make a unit at just about 24 hours.
• 3D printing is more sustainable, where local architects can explore local materials in heavy carbon sources.
• WASP and Mario Cucinnella will be testing material based 3D Printing.
• TECLA recently constructed sustainable printing for building architecture moving forward.
• ICON is working with NASA to create simulated Mars for habitable structures.
• 3D construction could answer to life support on mars.