2021 Large Particle 3D Concrete Printing

Project summary

The fundamental research project “Large Particle 3D Concrete Printing” (LP3DCP) explores the application of particle bed 3D printing with coarse particles in the construction industry. Similar to conventional particle bed 3D printing processes, the LP3DCP method begins by depositing a layer of coarse particles, which are subsequently locally bonded through the application of a fine-grained concrete. The fine-grained concrete is applied using a shotcrete process. These steps are repeated layer by layer until the desired three-dimensional geometry is fully produced. While existing particle bed 3D printing processes typically operate with aggregates in the micrometer or millimeter range, this project utilizes significantly larger particles, with diameters of up to 63 mm, for the particle bed. The application of the fine-grained concrete is carried out using a robot-assisted shotcrete technology developed at the Institute for Structural Design. This approach enables the fabrication of free-form, high-strength concrete elements that substantially enhance CO₂ efficiency through the use of recycled aggregates and a reduced cement content. As an interdisciplinary research initiative, the project systematically investigates the fundamental relationships between material technology, process technology, and architectural and structural desig

Publications:

[1] Mai, I., Brohmann, L., Freund, N., Gantner, S., Kloft, H., Lowke, D. and Hack, N., 2021. Large particle 3D concrete printing—a green and viable solution. Materials, 14(20), p.6125.

[2] https://www.zukunftbau.de/projekte/forschungsfoerderung/1008187-2119