Advances in 3D concrete printing technologies are creating exciting opportunities to build homes faster, more sustainably and at reduced cost. University of Canterbury (UC), architectural engineer Dr Giuseppe Loporcaro is leading a research project to refine low-carbon, seismically resilient solutions for 3D printed homes suited to New Zealand conditions.

Research in this field has been gaining momentum at UC over recent years. In the Department of Civil and Natural Resources Engineering, a machine has been built to 3D print concrete walls by extrusion and students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level have been exploring materials for the process.

Over the next three years, Dr Loporcaro and his team plan to further extend their knowledge and expertise as they seek to unlock the potential of this alternative construction technology. The first phase will involve further refinement of materials used for 3D concrete printing.

“Low carbon is an important aspect of our research,” says Dr Loporcaro. “We plan to build on our research to date, developing sustainable material for 3D concrete printing, for example, re-using mussel shell waste and other resources. We also plan to optimise the shape of elements so as to reduce the total amount of material needed along with carbon dioxide emissions.”

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