Researchers from the West Pomeranian University of Technology (ZUT) in Poland have produced a study on the automation of 3D printing construction, while also investigating methods of improving the process in regards to the rheological properties of the concrete mix. 

Specifically, the study details the application of additive manufacturing technology in the fabrication of a building wall model, in which the door opening was finished with an automated lintel installation. A lintel is a beam placed across openings in buildings like doors, windows etc. to support the load from the structure above. 

The objective of the study was to improve the low capacity of 3D printed concrete mixes to transfer loads, which can be particularly troublesome in cases of external components that need to be placed on top such as precast lintels or floor beams during 3D printing construction processes. 

Such an investigation, according to the researchers, can prove beneficial in designing larger civil structures using concrete 3D printing technology. 

The advantages of construction 3D printing

The study sets out by explaining that developments in construction technology have been focused on speeding up the construction of buildings and structures through automation. A technology at the forefront of this development is additive manufacturing using concrete mixes, which allows the building up of a structure by extruding a concrete mix layer by layer. 

“Considering that the formwork can constitute to 35–54% of total costs of raising concrete structure. The application of additive manufacturing brings measurable profits. Not only does it allow production of structures without the formwork, but it also reduces total production time, costs and labor. The technology also increases the safety of workers on the construction site, produces less waste and uses raw materials with low embodied energy,” explain the authors of the study.

Indeed, recently the field of construction 3D printing has seen a number of initiatives and projects unfold which enabled the building of large structures in a short amount of time compared to traditional construction processes. For example SQ4D, an offshoot of the New York-based S-Squared 3D Printers (SQ3D), recently completed construction of a new building, in what it claims is the “largest permitted 3D printed home in the world.” Spanning 1900 square feet, construction of the 3D printed home reportedly took place over an eight-day period, with a total of 48 hours in print time.

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