3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology is already known to offer a more efficient approach to constructing buildings. A new type of 3DCP, however, is said to be even better, resulting in walls that are a claimed 72% lighter than their conventional counterparts.

At most 3DCP building sites, a robotically operated extruder nozzle moves in straight lines parallel to the ground, building up molds for walls one horizontal layer at a time. Once the hollow centers of those molds have been filled with rebar and more concrete, the walls are complete.

According to Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi and colleagues at the University of Michigan’s DART Laboratory (Digital Architecture Research Technologies), such setups use more concrete than is necessary, plus they limit the architectural features of buildings to fairly simple shapes. That’s where the university’s Shell Wall system is intended to come in.

It begins with the creation of a computer model of the structure, which is based on the most efficient distribution of material needed to provide the required strength in each part of the building. In other words, no materials are included where they aren’t necessary.

Keep reading on newatlas.com