www.protoolreviews.com: We seem to be at a point where we’re just starting to see 3D printing on jobsites. While 3D concrete printing in construction may not be the norm, some companies want it to be. Two companies in particular—Korodur out of Amberg in Germany and CyBe Construction from Oss in the Netherlands—have found plenty of use for it across the world.
10 comments:
3D concrete printing sounds like such a cool concept. It’s crazy that the companies mentioned in the article seem to have made great progress in the concrete printing world, yet I haven’t heard anything about it until now. It is interesting the way that through 3D concrete printing, construction actually happens faster than it would through traditional concrete construction. That definitely would be a great positive when deciding whether or not companies would like to switch over to 3D printing. I am curious as to how much it would cost to be able to construct entire buildings with this method and how it would compare to the way building construction currently costs. It’s also interesting to think about the fact that the cement made for 3D concrete printing is more environmentally friendly than conventional cement. As a whole, I think the benefits of 3D printing in terms of time, money, and environmental impact could make a great difference in the construction industry, and I’m very intrigued to see how 3D cement printing will begin to spread to more parts of the world.
You know I love innovative use of 3D printing technology! I took a class a few semesters ago that was able to acquire a clay extrusion printer for a project. The speed was fairly slow, the nozzle came out of calibration often, and the structures couldn't be very big. Initially, thinking about concrete 3D printing on a large scale, I’d be worried about how large and structural a concrete printed structure could be and how long it took to print. But 20 inches per second is very fast, and it sounds like this “intelligent mortar” is structural. Looking at the CyBe website, the mortar sets in 3 minutes and reaches full structural strength in an hour. I also love that the concrete is made without some toxic chemicals and the carbon footprint is smaller than other materials. I would be interested in seeing a side by side comparison of a shed structure built out of typical material and one concrete printed. Then we could compare the costs, construction time, and then do a destructive forces test.
As I am sure a lot of people have, I have always been intrigued by 3D printing. The very idea of printing a physical object seemed equally out there as possible under the right conditions, and low-and-behold some years down the line it has reached the potential of becoming an industry staple. The phrase “shortens construction time and saves money” is music to anyone who has ever led a project probably ever. One is always looking for a way to save time and money, knowing one must always be compromised. Apparently, that is becoming a thing of the past as much as building is concerned. I never actually bothered to stop and think of its environmental impact, so it was a pleasant surprise. Not only does it take less energy to actually make, but it would also help revive reefs that are slowly being consumed by western capitalist greed. Cool!
I think 3d printing is one of the coolest things in the world, it is something so innovative and can allow for an insane precision. I have experimented a little when it comes to small things using 3d printing but have never even seen a large scale 3d printing. I think if 3d printing ends ups being a cost effective way to build houses, specifically housing that can benefit people who struggle to find housing then this is a good step forward. I do wonder the environmental impacts, construction cost, and overall feasibility of using a large 3d printer like this though. I think concrete does not have as much of a carbon footprint as other building materials but to keep everything to a minimum would be ideal. I also hope that technology like this will help improve working conditions and cut down on the overworking of blue collar workers however I do not want these technological innovations to strip the power from the workers and to take jobs away. I believe technological innovations are meant to help people not take over for them.
In the last few years there's been such a surge in the prevalence and accessibility of 3D printing it's staggering. It's been around since the 80s but it feels like only now has it begun to really expand and grow from a niche technology to a real cross-industry game changer. While this is the first time hearing of concrete 3D printing, I am familiar with expandable foam 3D printing for homes as well as glass 3D printing because of bio-architect and MIT professor Neri Oxman. A few years back the Netflix show Abstract the Art of Design did a special on her and since then I have been following her continued work. She aims to find more sustainable and innovative ways to replace the processes and materials we use today. I'm curious whether her expandable foam housing came before or after the concrete project talked about as the implementation looks nearly identical. One thing that really surprised me about the 3D printed concrete is its almost decorative look within the space. Rather than being an ugly, hidden inner part of the structure, it is a central part of how the design of the room comes together.
3D printing! This is a really cool topic, and not something I know a lot about (but would like to know more!!) A couple of interesting points that stood out to me: the 3D construction could give architects more freedom with their designs; there is a lot of adaptability, and has some sustainability benefits; and, this process can be used for environmental benefits, specifically for use in making artificial reefs– which is something that is needed way more than it should be (coral bleaching, etc.). All of this was very interesting to me; I love the idea that this could give architects some more freedom and it makes me wonder how buildings and living spaces could adapt because of this? Maybe living spaces could become more practically designed to accommodate people’s needs, to conserve energy, and create comfortable spaces for people. I’ve been interested in architecture for a long time, this article was great!
The 3D concrete printer is definitely futuristic, but it doesn’t seem to be advanced enough for aesthetic purposes. Because building materials create their own aesthetic (e.g. Bricks) this process I’m sure is great for building houses and such, but the aesthetic will have to catch on. I’m curious how this could be applied in theater or to set building, but because of the shape it creates, I don’t think it has progressed far enough to be useful in the industry. It is possible something cardboard like could be printed to make scenery, then it would need to be perfectly smooth to make walls and such. A paper product of sorts would also be good because it could be made from recycled materials and would be great assuming the structure did not have to be weight bearing. Even smaller 3D printing processes are not smooth close up (unless it’s really precise) and they still take quite a long time to print. It seems the two directions that automation is heading is additive and subtractive manufacturing, but the problem is that subtractive is easier and more precise as of yet.
When I first saw this article, I immediately thought of the 3D clay printing I’ve been seeing online. It intrigued me because it’s a really interesting mix of art and technology. Pottery is usually something that is crafted by hand so to see someone do that essentially through an online program is crazy. There is also such a distinct look that would be very hard to achieve by hand due to all the layers it prints. I can’t begin to imagine all of the insane visions that could be brought to life because of the machine's precision. Although after watching those videos and other random 3D printing videos it’s clear that things can definitely go wrong when using the printer. There was one clay video where half way through the printer got off track and the top ended up looking like a pile of spaghetti (which was not the artist’s intention). I wonder what that would look like on a large scale when creating big structures.
I’ve never quite understood why one would want to 3d print concrete. I understand the interesting appeal of additive construction materials and process but what actual benefit is given to the end user or client. Here in this article it seems to be trying to make the appeal that it’s less expensive and more environmentally friendly then building out of regular concrete but last I checked there weren’t a lot of people in the United States or any other country trying to build out of concrete. As the article tried to address in a short paragraph concrete isn’t an environmentally safe material. It also isn’t a modifiable material and in the US where renovations and the average person lives in 11 homes or something then people are going to want to make changes no home works for everyone and the amount of effort needed to make modifications to concrete would be a down side.
As much of a fan as I am when it comes to 3D printing, I'm hesitant to fully embrace this without some more details. Don't get me wrong, large-scale 3D printing is going to be massively important over the next few decades, but I feel like this article hides some of the caveats that come with this. After all, there are reasons this hasn't replaced traditional construction yet. First, I'd be curious to hear more about the structural integrity of the layered concrete, and how that process impacts shear strength. Concrete is rather finicky as a structural element, so pushing it further outside of its comfort poses some questions. Second, I absolutely see the relative benefit for unique or curved cross-sections, but I don't believe this would be really effective compared to standard rectangular concrete systems that, to be honest, are much more prevalent. Finally, when it comes to environmental impact, I think it is important to consider that CO2, while important, isn't the only metric to weigh. For some materials, concrete in particular, water consumption is very important to consider. Granted, this still beats out traditional construction by 20% per the article, but that's only compared to similar products. Overall, I'm interested to see where this continues to develop, but still cautiously optimistic.
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