The first three-dimensional printing using concrete came in 1995, and the technology has evolved over the past three decades. Just the cost savings alone should make 3D concrete printing attractive as new building technology. From reduced waste materials to faster construction times, it seems to be an efficient solution when combined with the freedom of design elements. While there has been buzz around some pioneering projects, overall there has been resistance in the industry, with some skepticism about the technology and a general lack of understanding by the public. Author Haidar Alhaidary encourages 3DCP adoption in his paper for the Journal of Architectural Engineering, “Three-Dimensional Concrete Printing as a Construction Automation Strategy and Assessments from a Case Study Building.”
Alhaidary begins by outlining current challenges in the construction industry, starting with declining productivity, the skilled labor shortage, ineffective project management, and unsustainable industry; and concluding with what he calls the rise in construction demand (the dichotomy between wanting to limit building to save the planet and addressing demands for urban expansion). He continues his argument by acknowledging the well-known resistance that the construction industry has shown toward change, and its hesitancy to adopt new, sometimes inferior, technologies. He uses the Middle East Engineering Technologies villa, completed in 2020, as a case study and addresses several challenges encountered during construction, as well as community criticism. Learn more about this study and how it can improve construction automation at https://doi.org/10.1061/JAEIED.AEENG-1714. The abstract is below.
Abstract
Numerous techniques and technologies exist to automate construction-related tasks, which include the latest three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) methodology. These automation techniques seek to solve the entrenched problems in construction, such as declining productivity, shortage of skilled workers, ineffectiveness in project management, unsustainability, and the increase in construction demand. The 3DCP has further benefits, such as quicker construction times, design freedom, and more predictability. However, there is resistance to adopting 3DCP in the industry and by the market. With experience from a 3DCP organization and a case study on a 3DCP villa, this paper presents the major challenges that hinder this technology’s adoption and use, important lessons learned from the villa construction, and highlights of the local community’s critical feedback.
Read more about the challenges and benefits of 3D concrete printing in the ASCE Library: https://doi.org/10.1061/JAEIED.AEENG-1714.
