3D printing in construction is a technology to watch out for. Recent developments like 3D printed houses and 3D printed buildings have shown a glimpse of the immense potential of 3D printing technology. It can speed up the construction process and timeline, reduce carbon footprint and utilize waste and recycled building material.



However, in its present form, it’s far from achieving scalable adaptability in the mainstream construction industry. Adding to that, the technology is still in its infancy and has many drawbacks, such as high power consumption, high cost of construction 3D printer set up, more power usage than traditional construction, and limited accessibility of 3D print technology.



This article will cover the following subtopics:

What is 3D Printing?

What are 3D printers?

How can 3D printing be used in a construction project?

Available technologies for 3D printing in construction

Benefits of construction 3D printing technology

Scope of 3D printing construction market

The downside of 3D printed structures

Current application of 3D printing in construction sector

The future of construction 3D printing technology

Conclusion



What is 3D printing?
3D printing (alternatively known as additive manufacturing) is the process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a computer-aided digital file.



In the initial days, "3D printing" referred to the procedure in which inkjet printer heads deposit layers upon layers of a binder material onto a powder bed. However, the definition has included a broader range of additive-manufacturing techniques, such as electron-beam additive manufacturing and selective laser melting.



The concept of additive manufacturing began in the early 1980s when Hideo Kodama invented two additive methods for fabricating 3D plastic models in Japan. He used a photo-hardening thermoset polymer to fabricate 3D printed structures.



What are 3D printers?
In short, 3D printers use 3D technology-powered CAD (Computer Aided Design) to create 3D objects from different material types, like molten plastic, powder, and concrete material. 3D printers can come in various shapes and sizes, ranging from equipment that can fit on a desk to large construction models used in making a 3D printed home. There are three main types of 3D printers, and each uses a slightly different method.



Types of 3D printers
Stereolithographic (SLA printers) - These laser-equipped 3D printers can transform liquid resin into plastic.
Selective laser sintering (SLS printers) - These printers use a laser to sinter polymer powder particles into a solid structure.
Fused deposition modeling (FDM printers) - These printers release molten thermoplastic filaments through a hot nozzle and form layered objects. These printers are most commonly used in the 3D construction method.


How can 3D printing be used in a construction project?
The 3D printing system specifically designed for the construction sector is known as a 3D construction printer. Such a printer can be used for 3D concrete printing. This 3D printed concrete can be used as a building block on construction sites. Simultaneously, this technology can also be used to design and print a 3D printed home.



The 3D printed construction process starts with creating a digital structure model using a 3D scanner and CAD software. The printer then interprets the design and applies successive layers of material (a liquid, powder, or sheet material) to form the structure.



The procedure is time-consuming, yet it allows for the creation of practically any shape that would otherwise be impossible with a conventional construction method. These shapes and structures can be created offsite, and then the construction modules can be assembled at the project site.



Available technologies for 3D printing in construction
Let’s look at the technologies available for additive manufacturing applications in the construction industry.



Robotic arm extruders
Among the available 3D print technologies, the robotic arm extruder is prominent. This is known as contour crafting technology. It is comparable to how an FDM desktop 3D printer operates. The rails are arranged in such a pattern that the robotic arm could move layer by layer and extrude concrete material coming out from the nozzle. This is the most widely used 3D printing process for creating XL structures.



3D printing with sand
The 3D process described here is similar to industrial 3D printing techniques such as SLS (Selective Laser Sintering) or Jet Fusion. Enrico Dini, an Italian architect, was the first to put it to the test with his D-Shape 3D printer. The machine applies a coating of sand powder before hardening the shape of the construction with a binder. This is similar to how a metal 3D printer functions.



Metal technology
Dutch startup MX3D created WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) for higher stressed structures such as bridges. The company merged an industrial robot with a welding machine and transformed the assembled unit into a 3D printer that worked with software specifically designed for the purpose. The robot can 3D print metal constructions on a 6-axes configuration.



Benefits of construction 3D printing technology
Improved design flexibility
3D printing can solve an important architectural challenge - creating complicated designs. A construction 3D printer uses computer programs that can be programmed to execute complicated and challenging designs.



Integration with BIM
BIM (Building Information Modeling) has revolutionized building design through the use of 3D technology. It presents the views of mighty buildings and structures before they are actually built. Construction 3D printing can advance this innovation by integrating with BIM and implementing intricate designs with near-zero precision.



Lowering construction cost
The construction sector is one of the most capital-intensive and labor-intensive economic sectors. Since 3D printers can print an entire building, it eliminates the need for high labor requirements, reducing the construction cost significantly.



Aid to green building construction
Green buildings are rapidly becoming the most trending construction category. The rising awareness of climate change has prompted construction companies to adopt green construction. In this initiative, 3D printers can play a crucial role by utilizing waste and recycled construction materials to create 3D printed structures.



Faster construction delivery
Several factors on construction sites can cause delays in the construction process. Since 3D printing does not rely on labor and related factors, it can build at a pace without exhaustion hardly imaginable for humans.



Minimize human errors
3D printing depends upon pre-programmed automated operation without any interference from humans. This essentially prevents errors caused due to humans. Also, 3D printers do not need much human supervision.



The downside of 3D printed structures
High Power Consumption
Construction 3D printers utilize several times more electrical power than any conventional construction method. Meeting such a huge power demand itself is costly besides the environmental impact of generating such high capacity power.



3D printers are expensive
Since the 3D print technology is in its early stages, it’s not economically viable at the moment. The initial cost to set up a 3D printing unit for construction structures is huge, and in its present form, it’s too expensive to adapt in the mainstream construction industry.



Scarcity of materials
Every day construction materials can not be used with 3D printers. A 3D printer needs specialized materials that are not available for widespread use currently. This scarcity raises the material cost significantly, which, when added to the costly printer, makes it unviable to be used for large-scale construction.



Scope of 3D printing construction market
3D printed family home in Moscow
Apis Cor, an American technology company, built a 3D printed house in Moscow. No different than any other concrete house, the house is the first of its kind to use automation in homebuilding, and the entire cost of construction was less than USD 10000.



World’s largest 3D printed building in Dubai
The Middle East, particularly UAE, has recently seen new innovations in terms of technological adaptations. Continuing this trend in 3D printing, Emirates Tower Complex has become the world’s largest 3D printed building in Dubai, a claim already verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Built by Apis Cor, the two stories building features an area of 640 m² and a height of 9.5 m.



3D Printed Houses in North America and the Caribbean
Nonprofits and communities worldwide are turning to concrete 3D printing technology to address the global affordable housing problem. For instance, New Story - a nonprofit organization, built the first 3D printed home in Mexico in a record 24 hours. Since then, the organization has built neighborhoods filled with 2,000 homes, all built with the 3D printing construction method.



The future of construction 3D printing technology
The sky may not be the limit when it comes to the future of 3D architecture. NASA and the European Space Agency have begun considering how to employ 3D construction technologies to create habitable space structures or perhaps Martian settlements. Given the technological advancements over the last decade, the potential for this cutting-edge technology is limitless.



Conclusion
Even as 3D printing continues to face long-standing issues, the construction industry is ready for innovation. Traditional construction processes can be wasteful, time-consuming, costly, and environmentally harmful. Civil engineers have a lot of chances to rectify these difficulties and potentially make it simpler and more economical to design and build habitable structures thanks to the precision, speed, and reliability of 3D printing.



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