{"id":22300,"date":"2020-06-30T14:15:06","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T14:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/?p=22300"},"modified":"2020-06-30T15:13:23","modified_gmt":"2020-06-30T15:13:23","slug":"fast-complexity-efficient-and-customizable-concrete-3d-printing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.3dnatives.com\/en\/fast-complexity-efficient-and-customizable-concrete-3d-printing\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast Complexity: Efficient and customizable concrete 3D printing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Additive manufacturing<\/a> is starting to play a very important role in the construction industry. Concrete 3D printing keeps gaining more and more popularity among architects and construction firms for two main reasons \u2013 it is cheaper and faster than the conventional processes. Plus, as concrete contributes 8% to the global carbon footprint, it is vital to use it as efficiently as possible, and the existing optimization algorithms allow to cut the amount of material needed\u00a0in half! But architects have been facing a problem: fabrication technologies are quite limited when it comes to building quickly and at low costs. The conventional formworks (a mold into which\u00a0concrete\u00a0is poured) allow to build only predefined geometries with limited customization. That\u2019s where project Fast Complexity comes into play – ETH Zurich<\/a> introduced an automated solution that combines\u00a0the fabrication speed with the geometric precision of concrete 3D\u00a0printing.<\/p>\n

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Image credit: Digital Building Technologies<\/p><\/div>\n

Concrete 3D printing<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Technically, concrete 3D printing is not drastically different from FDM<\/a> 3D printing, only the size of the printer is much bigger and instead of a filament, concrete is used. Both concrete 3D printers and FDM printers<\/a> are controlled via g-code, a machine language that directs the print head of the 3D printer until the desired 3D model is produced. The similarity between plastic FDM printers and concrete printers\u00a0can be summed up in two words: material extrusion.<\/p>\n

Project Fast Complexity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To demonstrate their new method Digital Building Technologies,\u00a0ETH Zurich used a highly optimized structural slab prototype. A slab is a structural element made of concrete, it\u2019s used to create horizontal surfaces such as floors, ceilings, etc. ETH Zurich\u2019s unique process allows to dynamically control the setting rate of the 3D printed concrete. In other words, builders can \u201cextrude a fluid concrete that perfectly emulates the complex surface of the formwork, and a fast setting concrete that does not need any additional formwork for the upper structure<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>

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The project Fast Complexity shows that it is possible to make concrete 3D printing more customizable and give designers more freedom of expression, all while keeping it environmentally-friendly and cheaper. The proposed method allows the implementation of completely new aesthetics in slabs, with functional features on both sides. An additional advantage is that the method involves less digital fabrication processes, requires less manual labour, and is more resource-efficient! Given all these remarkable benefits, the new concrete 3D printing technique will enable a \u201cdiverse repertoire of contextualised design solutions in real buildings.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n