Digital fabrication / 3D concrete printing

Additive manufacturing techniques have become popular throughout recent years, and 3D printing of concrete is no exception. It is a new tool in the toolbox of architects and construction companies and offers a quick and cost-efficient way of building large-scale engineering structures. 3D concrete printing (3DCP) works by precisely placing specific volumes of material in sequential layers by a computer-controlled positioning process. Autonomous or semi-autonomous 3D printers require minimal human surveillance, and thus this could answer to the growing shortages of skilled workers. Another outcome of the technique is that it disposes the need for conventional molding and allows for the creation of unique and complex shapes that were unattainable through conventional fabrication. By reducing the cost associated with nonstandard shapes, 3DCP gives free rein to the creativity of architects, designers and structural engineers enabling non-traditional design methods such as topology optimization.