New Concrete 3D Printing Method Reduces Ecological Footprint

3D printing is gradually transforming the construction industry. Various projects, from houses to shopping malls, have already been created thanks to this technology. Today, one project in particular is attracting attention: researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a concrete 3D printing technique capable of capturing carbon. This innovation opens up new prospects for reducing the ecological footprint of construction. The project also arrives just a few months after researchers at the University of Virginia developed a concrete formula for 3D printing that lowered carbon emissions by 31 percent, evidence of a global effort to make construction 3D printing more eco-friendly.
This new technique, presented in the Carbon Capture Science & Technology journal, could transform the construction industry. It tackles the environmental impact of cement, which is responsible for around eight percent of global CO2 emissions. By optimizing the use of materials, speeding up construction times and reducing labor requirements, this approach promises to make traditional methods, such as reinforced concrete, less necessary. Let’s find out how it works.
Eco-Friendly, High-Performance 3D Concrete Printing
This new 3D printing method integrates CO2 and steam, recovered as by-products of industrial processes, directly into the concrete mix. This process enables the CO2 to become permanently fixed in the structure of the concrete, improving its mechanical performance compared with conventional 3D printing methods. In concrete terms, the team has designed a system in which the 3D printer is connected to CO2 pumps and a steam jet. During printing, the CO2 reacts with the concrete components to solidify, while the steam increases the concrete’s capacity to absorb this gas, making the structure more robust.
Professor Tan Ming Jen, of NTU’s School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and Singapore Center for 3D Printing (SC3DP), stressed the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the construction sector, one of the world’s most polluting: “Our newly developed 3D concrete printing system offers a carbon-reducing alternative by not only improving the mechanical properties of concrete but also contributing to reducing the sector’s environmental impact. It demonstrates the possibility of using CO2 produced by power plants or other industries for 3D concrete printing. Since traditional cement emits a lot of carbon, our method offers a way to plow back CO2 through 3D concrete printing.”
Tests have shown that this new technique produces much stronger and more durable concrete. Compared with conventional 3D printing methods, the resulting concrete supports up to 37 percent more weight and bends almost 45 percent more before breaking. In addition to these mechanical performances, the process is more environmentally friendly, capturing 38 percent more CO2 than conventional methods. The researchers now plan to perfect their technique to improve its efficiency. They also hope to explore the use of recycled industrial gases, rather than pure CO2, in the 3D printing process.
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*All Photo Credits: NTU Singapore