3D Printing in Construction: How, What, and Where?
The use of 3D printers in construction is currently limited for a number of reasons. There are a lot of technical problems among them, but the main one is the lack of a regulatory and legal framework for this type of construction.
It is the lack of standards that prevents large construction companies from adopting 3D equipment, considering the concept of construction printing specifically for multi-storey and mass construction. Unsolved problems of using construction 3D printing negate the possibility of using it in continuous construction.
What is a 3D Printer for Construction?
According to Sculpteo, construction 3D printers that exist today differ in their designs and methods of wall construction. The most common printers are gantry design, two- and four-support designs, based on a manipulator arm or circular design. The equipment allows you to create small architectural forms and elements of structures for their subsequent assembly on-site or allows you to print the entire building on the construction site. The height and dimensions of the building to be printed depend on the specifications of the printer used.
It is predicted that from 2025 about 5% of all houses under construction will be built using 3D printers. And there is an explanation for this. The main advantage of 3D printing technologies in construction is the reduction of waste. In addition, among the advantages of 3D printing is the production of an object in one technological step and unparalleled design flexibility, which as a result compensate for the high cost of raw materials.
However, with all the promising and beneficial use of 3D printing, there are a number of limitations. Today, printers are mainly used for low-rise and small-sized individual construction, as well as for the manufacture of small architectural forms. In addition, one of the main reasons why innovative construction cannot be used everywhere is the lack of a regulatory and legislative framework, interdepartmental interaction. The standard development procedure is not keeping pace with industry changes. There is no conceptual framework and requirements, risks, and connections with other technologies a re not described. In this regard, the technology can be considered relatively new and all that remains is to wait until all the regulatory documents are prepared.
In this regard, the future of construction lies in the combination of new technologies and traditional construction methods. Their integration allows for the best of both worlds, combining the complexity and relative speed of 3D printing with the precision and range of materials found in other methods.
Some organizations are already taking advantage of the two approaches. For example, New York-based construction company Skystone delivers efficient, high-quality construction under tight deadlines with the added benefit of less waste, less noise, less supply, and fewer materials than traditional projects. Skystone manufactures for Marriott International, an international hotel chain management company, fully equipped modular hotel rooms, including all furniture and equipment at a manufacturing facility in Poland, and delivers them to New York and then lifts them one by one. This eliminates the effect of unforeseen conditions on the construction site and makes it more predictable and planned, as well as providing a higher quality of construction and faster delivery for developers.
So, once the construction industry starts adopting new technologies while building on old proven methods, they can accumulate benefits - lower costs, shorten business processes and reduce environmental impact. But at the same time, to promote innovation, it is necessary to update building codes and move to forward-looking standards in order to overcome the typical regulatory obstacles for new technologies.
How the Printing Process Works?
The extruder extrudes a fast-hardening concrete mix with various additives. Each subsequent layer is applied on top of the previous one, due to which a vertical structure is formed. Concrete layers underneath are thus compacted, thereby increasing their ability to withstand the next layers, and therefore the entire weight of the structure. To strengthen the structure, its reinforcement is performed, which can be both vertical and horizontal. The horizontal reinforcement belt is laid between the layers, the vertical reinforcement is installed at the end of the hardening of the composition and then poured with concrete.
By the way, in the United States, ICON has developed technology that can print residential buildings for as little as $ 4,000. This is 10 times cheaper than traditional buildings. A mobile Vulcan 3D printer is used for the construction of objects. The first house was built with its help in Austin (Texas). In the long term, using this technology, they plan to build cheap houses in poor areas.
Advantages of 3D Printing Over Other Construction Methods
The production of structures by a 3D printer opens up great opportunities for enterprises in the construction and related industries. Practical application has revealed the following advantages of additive manufacturing:
● Removes restrictions from the imagination of designers and architects, as it provides opportunities that are not available during construction by the methods we are used to.
● High speed of construction of buildings and structures.
● Full automation of the process.
● Low power consumption of equipment.
● Significant savings in comparison with classical construction methods due to lower labor and energy costs and faster construction times.
● The formation of building materials waste is completely excluded.
● Minimization of human interference in the construction process not only allows building in places inaccessible to people but also in ordinary territories to neutralize the human factor and reduces the likelihood of error.
What Is Next?
Today, the use of 3D printing is only advisable for small-scale production. In the case of large batches of goods, technologies are used rather for creating a prototype, but finished objects are created using traditional methods since the price of 3D printing is still quite high. However, the further technology advances, the cheaper it becomes. 3D printing will very soon replace small batch production, with significant price reductions due to lower capital investment costs, logistics and storage costs.
The real advantage of 3D printing technology is customization. Every time you need to make something custom, 3D printing changes reality. With regard to mass production, for example, typical parts for cars, then traditional means will be cheaper and faster. Answering the main question, 3D printing will help us solve many problems in this world, but not all.