Construction 3D Printing

Abstract Additive manufacture or 3D printing is revolutionizing manufacturing—from titanium aircraft parts to chocolate. 3D printing allows individually customized products to be produced without any of the tool and set-up costs usually associated with manufacturing. The process of designing a 3D model and then fabricating it layer-by-layer also allows complex shapes with optimized structural properties to be produced. There is no doubt that 3D concrete printing will continue to grow as the technology matures and becomes one of the key manufacturing technologies of the 21st century. Despite the clear benefits, the application of 3D printing in construction, and particularly concrete, has been relatively slow. This chapter examines some of the key technologies in additive manufacture, their benefits and drawbacks, and explores how they can be applied in concrete construction.