Additive manufacturing technology in construction

Additive manufacturing (AM) of construction materials has been one of the emerging advanced technologies that aim to minimise the supply chain in the construction industry through autonomous production of building components directly from digital models without human intervention and complicated formworks. However, technical challenges need to be addressed for the industrial implementation of AM, e.g. materials formulation standardization, and interfacial bonding quality between the deposited layers amongst others.

This project will work on addressing the aforementioned challenges. Ongoing research actions are currently aimed towards partly replacing ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with industrial by-products. However, the AMTC project targets the development of eco-friendly cementitious mix formulations reinforced with commercially available additives and agricultural waste to achieve structural load-bearing building blocks produced by AM technology.

There are crucial links between the material design formulations and the printing system for the manufacturing of complex 3D geometries. AM uses a combination of materials science, architecture and design, computation, and robotics.

This project considers the market uptake perspectives, human safety, and the risk of environmental contamination, in light of events such as pandemic and natural disasters rapid shelter or quarantine provision without the intervention of humans, done by robots/3D printers on sites has huge potential.

Publications

• 1) The influence of nano-additives in strengthening mechanical performance of 3D printed multi-binder geopolymer composites
• 2) Effective extrusion-based 3D printing system design for cementitious-based materials
• 3) 3D printing set to transform the construction industry
• 4) Additive manufacturing technology and its implementation in construction as an eco-innovative solution
• 5) Construction 4.0: An Innovation Platform for the Built Environment: The potential for additive manufacturing to transform the construction industry