Development and Practical Application of 3D Printing Technology for Construction
By S. Yamamoto, H. Ogura, H. Abe and R. Kikuchi
Concrete Journal, Vol.59, No.8, Aug. 2021
- Synopsis
- The authors have developed 3D printing technology that can fabricate laminated structures with structural characteristics and mass transfer resistance equivalent to or better than ordinary concrete. Moreover, for the first time in Japan, 3D printing technology was applied to formwork of concrete columns to actually be put into service. The target columns had a height of 4.3 m and a three-dimensional curved surface difficult to achieve by conventional construction methods using wooden formwork, etc., with a shape that flares out into a petal-like shape while twisting from the bottom to the top. Through the manufacture of the formwork for columns and the evaluation of the finished shape and quality, the authors demonstrated that 3D printing technology can be used to construct laminated structures with a free-form surface to a high level of quality, and they confirmed the practical applicability of this technology.
- Keywords:
- 3D printing, Additive manufacturing technology, Automatic construction, Construction robot, Free-form surface, Fiber reinforced cement composites
