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3D Concrete Printing Technology

Technical Report · October 2022

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 3D Concrete Printing Technology

Body of Abstract:

Concrete is the most widely used construction material on our planet. Construction industry is
expected to go through large transformations through 3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology. In
recent decades, 3D concrete printing technology has taken a growing stride, which enables
design optimization in the construction field, benefits over conventional construction methods like
a reduction of the overall construction cost and time, reduce environmental pollution and
provides safety to the workers by reducing accidents on construction sites. 3D printing is a
technology for producing 3D models of an object of any shape or size in layers using computer
software. 3D printed concrete is a special mix of concrete, specifically prepared to flow with ease
through the nozzle of the printing equipment. In the last few years, different 3D concrete printing
(3DCP) technologies have been evolved. This paper presents the current progress of 3DCP
technologies and their future scope to transform the conventional concrete construction.

3D printers can complete the construction of a single storied building within 12 to 24 hours leading
to speedy construction of structures. With the advancements made in technologies it has been
proved that the structures constructed using 3D printing have higher strength and durability which
can withstand extreme exposure conditions. This method is more sustainable because most of the
materials used in these processes are recyclable and reusable. Also, the carbon footprint
produced by this method is much lesser than the conventional methods. By creating prototypes of
desired Structures using 3D printer the occurrence of errors may be eliminated.

Keywords:
3D concrete printing, 3D concrete printers, concrete construction, carbon footprints, durability
Introduction

3D printed concrete is a special type of concrete that can be used for construction just with a
3D printer. It is a technology that transforms three-dimensional digital drawings into three-
dimensional objects as desired by the users via a 3D printer. The 3D printed concrete combines
the advantages of spray concrete and self-compacting concrete. The concrete material is pushed
through a nozzle of the concrete 3D printer to form layers that print in 3D. The concrete 3D printing
can print the wall and frames of the building unit, bridges, benches, or any outdoor decors, etc. 3D
printing technology attracts attention since it is faster than traditional construction, less costly, less
labor and less error margin. The prestigious honor goes to engineer Chuck Hull, who designed
and created the first 3D printer in 1984.

It is possible to produce structures with complex designs and small scaled various products,
under favor of this technology. The application of 3D printers has taken its place in the field of
engineering because this technology has emerged as a joint product of materials science, robotic
coding and architectural design studies. Optimized cement-based mortar material is used in 3D
printing printers. In order to be able to build layers on top of each other without collapse, and to
perform 3D printing without shrinkage cracks, a building material recipe should be prepared by
obtaining appropriate mixing ratios. While placing the building material, layered production is
made without using a mold, and the width and thickness of the printing layer is constantly
controlled during placement.

Requirement of 3D Printing Concrete

The current concrete construction industry faces several challenges. One of them is the high cost.
According to a recent study conducted formwork is responsible for about 80% of the total costs of
concrete construction. The significant amount of wastage generated in the construction is another
challenge. Formwork is a significant source of waste, since all of it is discarded sooner or later,
contributing to a generally growing amount of waste in the construction industry. Astonishing data
showed that the construction industry is responsible for generating approximately 80% of the total
waste in the world.
Furthermore, the conventional approach of casting concrete into a formwork limits
geometrical freedom for the architects to build in various geometries, unless very high costs are
paid for formworks. Another challenge is the slow speed of construction (i.e. long and hard to
control lead time). The concrete construction often comprises many steps including material
production, transportation, and in-situ manufacture of formwork, and each step is time consuming.
Moreover, the current concrete construction industry is labor intensive and has issues with safety.
Last but not least, the current construction industry has serious issues with sustainability. In
general, the current construction methods and materials are not environmentally friendly. The
entire construction process, including off-site manufacturing, transportation of materials,
installation and assembly, and on-site construction, emits huge amounts of greenhouse gases
and consumes large quantities of energy. In addition, conventional concrete made by ordinary
Portland cement (OPC) is not sustainable. Manufacture of OPC is highly energy and carbon
intensive.
However based on sustainability assessment it is found that 3DCP technology is
more environment friendly because the mining of raw materials used in cement and aggregate
production, transportation of concrete and other materials, CO2 emission, energy and water
consumption, carbon footprints and global warming potential can be minimized.

Concrete for 3D Printing

The design of the appropriate machine that would function as a 3D printer for the concrete mix is
critical to the project success. Several criteria had to be taken into consideration during the
Design, as the machine had to account for both the fresh and the printed properties of the
concrete previously discussed. The machine is basically composed of three main components: the
concrete tank and pumping mechanism, the printing nozzle, and the motion control system. The
concrete starts its journey at the tank and is manually pumped to reach the nozzle, which is
responsible for pouring it. The machine is designed to move on a tri-axial plane (x-y-z) in order to
print a 3- dimensional element.

The concrete mix must be designed to meet certain vital criteria that have a direct relationship with
the methodology of printing the concrete. Thus, it is critical to ensure a complementary connection
between the designs of the mix and printing machine. The five most important aspects of the mix
that are studied are extrudability, flowability, buildability, compressive strength, and open time.

 Extrudability: It refers to the capacity of the concrete to be extruded out of the nozzle. This
is assessed on the basis of the distance over which the paste can be printed without
blocking the nozzle. Also, the printed paste should be clear of cracks and separations.

 Compressive strength: The target strength of the concrete is determined using BS 1881-
116:1983 and 5x5 concrete cubes. Strength is particularly important since what is printed is
the structure in layers rather than its entirety at once. Since setting time should be assumed
to be instantaneous, and since the printing process happens only in a matter of minutes,
the target strength and strength gain should be high.

 Flowability: Measurement of flow ability is achieved by performing the slump flow test.The
concrete is spread out of an inverted cone. The time required for the mix to spread by a
specific diameter is measured and the rate of flowing can subsequently be obtained. An
easily expanding mix corresponds to a greater flow ability and workability.

 Buildability: this is measured by the number of layers of the printing specimen that can be
achieved without collapse. The target average number of layers is 5.

 Open Time: This criterion is important since the printed concrete isn’t poured in one go as
in the traditional method. In the latter, the initial and final setting times are more
representative but do not have much relevance in concrete printing. Thus, open time
 measurement is a better representation of the concrete workability change with time. It is
calculated using the slump flow test to get the flowability over specific time intervals.

Worldwide examples on 3D concrete printed Structures

World’s largest 3D Printed Building in Dubai

Dubai Municipality has won the UAE Ideas Award organized by the Dubai Quality Group under the
slogan, ‘Nothing is Impossible,’ for the category of ‘Innovation in the field of inventions’ for
constructing the World’s largest 3D Printed Building. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, had launched the Dubai 3D
Printing Strategy as a unique global initiative. The initiative aims to construct 25% of Dubai’s
buildings with 3D printing technology by 2030.
The structure of the building was built directly on-site without any extra assembly works. The 3D
printing process was done in natural weather conditions, this meant that there was no tent
covering the printing area. The main goal with this project was to conduct extensive R&D
dedicated to testing the equipment under harsh climatic conditions, in this case heat and humidity.
But also developing the 3D printing material and construction technologies, and testing the
equipment during a long period of time.
 India’s first 3D-printed home, built by alumni of IIT-Madras

It seems the future has arrived for the construction industry, as India’s first 3D printed home is now
ready. Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions has built a full-scale 3D house using 3D Printing
technology, focusing on substantial construction and providing low-cost solution for housing
needs.

China Has Built World's 1st 3D Printed Concrete Bridge in Shanghai in Just 450 Hours
 Germany's first printed house

Germany's first printed house is ready for occupancy. End of July 2021, the single-family house
printed by PERI using a COBOD BOD2 printer was officially opened in Beckum, North Rhine-
Westphalia.

Conclusion

3D Concrete Printing technology have shown itself as a promising tool in the construction industry
that can transform the future conventional construction methodology. It satisfies various design
and operational constraints. Many Structures like Houses, bridges, bunkers, sheds, etc. can be
built using this innovative technique without the use of formwork.

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