3D printing is a process by which physical

objects are created by depositing materials

in layers based on a digital model. All 3D
printing processes require software,
hardware, and materials to work together.
Over the last decades, 3D printing has
become one of the fastest growing
technologies nowadays. In its early days, it
was very complicated and expensive
technology. Over the years, 3D printing
started to be present in everyday life and
printers became commonly used in
industrial practice. 3D printing can also be
referred to as ‘additive manufacturing,’
especially when referring to its use within a
manufacturing setting, and many individuals 3D PRINTING AND CONSTRUCTION
will use both phrases interchangeably. As
the technology continues to grow, 3D
printing technology can be used to create
everything from prototypes and simple parts [Link]
to highly technical final products such as PROFESSOR, BGSSAP
airplane parts, life-saving medical implants,
automobile and even artificial organs using
layers of human cells.
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 TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

CONTENTS:

• INTRODUCTION
• 3D PRINTING AND CONSTRUCTION
• 3D PRINTING, CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES
• BENEFIT TO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
• 3D PRINTING PROCESS
• BIM, SLICE, LAYER COMBINE
• 3D CONCRETE PRINTING
• CONTOUR CRAFTING
• BUILDING AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION
• PRINTING SYSTEMS
• PRINTING 3D PRINTING AND CONSTRUCTION
• EXAMPLES
• SUSTAINABLE HOUSES
• CONCLUSION
• REFERENCE

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 TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION AND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

INTODUCTION:
The term 3D printing refers to the production of physical objects layer-by-layer by an automated and usually
computer-controlled machine. The machine, most often guided by digital 3D models, either melts metal or
powdered solids or ejects liquid or semiliquid materials. The technology provides for a wide range of
applications—from surgical implants to spare parts for cars to lightweight structures for aerospace projects.
Such versatility is due to three main factors:
• The variety of suitable materials (notably, polymers, metals, ceramics, and mortar or concrete).
• The almost limitless freedom of design.
• The ability to fabricate complex shapes onsite or offsite, flexibly and inexpensively.

Construction 3D Printing (c3Dp) or 3D Construction Printing (3DCP) refers to various technologies that use 3D
printing as a core method to fabricate buildings or construction components. Alternative terms are also in use,
such as Large scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM), or Freeform construction (FC), also to refer to sub-
groups, such as '3D Concrete', used to refer to concrete extrusion technologies.

3D printing (Sometimes referred to as Additive Manufacturing (AM)) is the computer-controlled sequential

layering of materials to create three-dimensional shapes. It is particularly useful for prototyping and for the
manufacture of geometrically complex components.

3D printing systems developed for the construction industry are referred to as 'construction 3D printers'. 3
3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3 A C
D N O
D N
S
P T
R R
I U
N C
T T
I I
N O
G N
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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3D PRINTING, CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICES:

Technological Advances:
The equipment and materials for 3D printing in construction are improving constantly, and their costs are
falling.

New Entrants:
The number of companies active in 3D printing in construction has soared recently.

Strategic Moves by Established Construction Companies:

The big-name construction companies will have to adapt to the new reality, whether they like it or not, and
several have made the strategic decision to be early adopters of the new technology. Several suppliers of
building materials have also begun engaging with the technology.

Political Push:
Regulation, subsidies, and other public policy measures are encouraging the adoption of 3D printing in
construction in many parts of the world.

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3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3 C A
D O N
N D
S
P T S
R R E
I U R
N C V
T T I
I I C
N O E
G N S
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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII
BENEFITS TO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY:

•Freedom of Design:
By reducing the costs associated with nonstandard shapes, 3D printing gives free rein to architects and designers. The
technology can turn complex designs into real structures that are beyond the capabilities of traditional builders. As the
new slogan goes, “If you can’t build it, print it.”
•Autonomous Construction:
The skills shortage affecting the construction industry in many high-income countries could soon become less relevant—
autonomous or semiautonomous 3D printers require minimal human surveillance. In addition, some of these printers are
lighter and more mobile than conventional construction machinery such as cranes, and they can be used in hazardous
areas or on remote sites, where prefabrication would be impracticable.
•Predictability and Speed of Delivery:
By operating 24/7 and by reducing onsite glitches and hence delays, 3D printers can cut construction times dramatically.
•Sustainability:
3D printing will reduce the construction sector’s harmful impact on the environment. For a start, a large proportion of the
feedstock—as much as 50%, according to some experts—could be recycled material. Furthermore, 3D printing allows
contractors to use less material in the first place: by creating complex shapes, such as overhangs and folds, for functions
such as insulation and shading, it dispenses with the need for additional material or separate structural units.
•Special Properties:
Thanks to its mastery of “topology optimization”—through the use of conical, hollow, or honeycomb structures, for
example—3D printing can endow its products with special properties, such as increased tensile strength or enhanced
thermal insulation, without adding to their weight.

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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

BENEFITS TO CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY:

• Reduced Supply Costs:

Expectation: “3D printing will save construction companies up to 50 percent on the cost” of building a house. This could
prove to be a lifesaver for construction managers with access to this technology and could lead to increased competition
within the construction field. Competition means lower prices for consumers, which could mean a shift from a rental to an
ownership mindset.

• Global Development:
Often as automation and mechanization rise, prices drop. 3D printing is an affordable way to create housing for the
impoverished in need of adequate shelter.

• Greener Construction:
Wealth Daily suggests that with the advent of 3D printing, “The use of lumber in the home’s framework would be spared.”
This is a great advancement for green construction firms and a frightening development for the lumber industry

• Improved Project Planning:

An important part of every project plan is the design. With 3D printing, companies will be able to quickly and inexpensively
create models to have a visual representation of the project as well as help pinpoint problem areas and avoid delays.

• Streamlined Client Expectations:

With 3D printing, construction professionals and their customers can communicate more clearly and efficiently. Even a
customer with no architectural background can better express his needs and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
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3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

B C I
E O N
N N D
E S U
F T S
I R T
T U R
S C Y
T
I
T O
O N
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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3D PRINTING PROCESS:

STEREO
LITHOGRAPHY

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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

BIM (BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING):

BIM is a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility creating a shared knowledge
resource for information about it forming a reliable basis for decisions during its life cycle, from earliest conception to
demolition. (RIBA and CPIC) “a coordinated set of processes, supported by technology that adds value through
creating, managing and sharing the properties of an asset throughout its lifecycle. An innovative and collaborative way
of working that is underpinned by digital technologies which support more efficient methods of designing, creating and
maintaining the built environment.
The construction industry has been facing a paradigm shift to (i) increase: productivity, efficiency, infrastructure value,
quality and sustainability, (ii) reduce: lifecycle costs, lead times and duplications, via effective collaboration and
communication of stakeholders in construction projects. Building Information Modelling (BIM) seeks to integrate
processes throughout the entire lifecycle. If used appropriately, BIM can facilitate a more integrated design and
construction process and generate substantial benefits.
Building Information Modelling is an integrated process designed to generate and manage building data from design
through construction. This process can also be used in building life cycle, maintenance, operations and cost analysis.
The BIM process utilizes 3D software for increased project coordination and communication with multiple trades to
provide a better end-product for the user.

STL:
Stereo Lithography can be exported into most CAD software suites, like Autodesk Fusion 360. For this reason, it has
become the acronym” Standard Tessellation Language”
The STL format only utilizes the three-dimensional description of the surface geometry without generating non-relevant
information for printing like texture or colour. This format approximates the surfaces of a solid model with triangles.
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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

SLICING:

In the slicing step, the geometric model

is intersected with parallel planes to
obtain the contour of each material
layer. This step can be done with a
constant layer thickness (uniform
slicing) or with variable layer thickness
(adaptive slicing). Adaptive slicing
provides better surface quality in critical
features of the printed model while
saving time in regions where rougher
• A triangle mesh of the surface of a 3D object model. finish is acceptable.
• Uniform slicing.
• Adaptive slicing. 12
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

LAYER COMBINE:

Combining different polymers in different combinations per layer of 3D printed material, is leading to the
development of an entirely new palette of materials.
As 3D print manufacturers expand on the multi-material capabilities of printers, many are looking to build
up databases of ‘meta-materials’, known recipes that combine various polymers in different ways to
produce very honed and specific properties, which are often quite different to the building block base
materials used.

Hod Lipson, director of the Creative Machines Lab at Columbia University in the US. He says: “You can
print flexible materials, optically transparent materials, biocompatible materials, hard materials and as this
technology expands, we should expect to see more materials become available by blending different
ones together.”

13
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3D CONCRETE PRINTING:

3D printing building technology

is a new construction technique
started with the invention of 3D
printer. Contour Crafting is a
promising technique that may
be able to revolutionize
construction industry in near
future. It has many advantages
of this technology, such as
reduction of the costs and time,
minimizing the pollution of
environment and decrease of
injuries and fatalities on
construction sites could be
listed.

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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

CONTOUR CRAFTING:

Contour crafting is a building

printing technology being researched
by Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University
of Southern California's Information
Sciences Institute (in the Viterbi School
of Engineering) that uses a computer-
controlled crane or gantry to build
edifices rapidly and efficiently with
substantially less manual labour.

Using a quick-setting, concrete-like

material, contour crafting forms the
house's walls layer by layer until topped
off by floors and ceilings set in place by
the crane. The notional concept calls for
the insertion of structural components,
plumbing, wiring, utilities, and even
consumer devices like audio visual
systems as the layers are built. 15
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

BUILDING AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION:

Contour Crafting can significantly reduce the cost of commercial construction. Projections indicate costs will
be around one fifth as much as conventional construction. Contour Crafting promises to eliminate waste of
construction materials. Contour Crafting construction projects will be extremely accelerated; for example a
2000 square foot house can be constructed in less than 24 hours. This rapid construction time minimizes
the financing costs of construction projects that typically take six months or longer to complete. While the
costs of manual labour will be significantly reduced, physical power will be exchanged for brain power in the
construction industry. For the first time women and the elderly will be able to take part in the construction
industry. Construction could become a consumer market, wherein a house or other structure could be
designed and built by the family that will occupy it. Reduced costs, and automated building will make
construction accessible to anyone. Imagine a Contour Crafting machine for lease at your local Home
Depot.

Large-scale, cement-based additive manufacturing processes, often referred to as 3D concrete printing

(3DCP), have been under development for the last 10 years and more than 30 groups world-wide are
currently engaged in research. 3DCP disposes of the need for conventional moulds by precisely placing, or
solidifying, specific volumes of material in sequential layers by a computer controlled positioning process.
The manufactured component is a facsimile of a 3D model from which the machine control is derived in the
same way as conventional Additive Manufacturing/Rapid Prototyping
16
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

BUILDING AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION:

Large-scale additive manufacturing processes for construction utilise computer-controlled placement of extruded cement-
based mortar to create physical objects layer-by-layer.

This 3D printing approach consist of three general stages:

• Data preparation,
• Concrete preparation.
• Component printing.

For path and data generation, a variety of methods are implemented for the generation of robotic building paths.

The material preparation stage includes mixing and placing the concrete into the container. Once the fresh concrete has
been placed into the container, it can be conveyed through the pump–pipe–nozzle system to print out self-compacting
concrete filaments, which can build layer-by-layer structural components. In the additive processes, pumpability and the
stability of the extrusion is important for the applications of mortars. These properties will all vary depending on the
concrete mix design, the delivery system, and the deposition device.

In the printing step, a control system is required to execute the printing process. These systems can be generally split into
two categories:
• Gantry systems and
• Robotic arm systems
17
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
PRINTING SYSTEMS: MMBC VIII

ROBOT ARM SYSTEM

GANTRY SYSTEM FOR LOW RISE HOUSES

SELF CLIMBING SYSTEM GANTRY SYSTEM FOR HIGH RISE BUILDINGS 18

 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII
PRINTING SYSTEMS:
Methods:
• Extrusion (concrete/cement, wax, foam, polymers).
• Powder bonding (polymer bond, reactive bond, sintering).
• Additive welding.

Construction scale will have a wide variety of applications within the private,
commercial, industrial and public sectors. fabrication of housing, construction
components (cladding and structural panels and columns), bridges and civil
infrastructure, artificial reefs, follies and sculptures.

Potential advantages of these technologies include faster construction, lower

labour costs, increased complexity and/or accuracy, greater integration of
GANTRY
function and less waste produced.

Sintering is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material

by heat or pressure without melting it to the point of liquefaction.

A gantry crane is a crane built atop a gantry, which is a structure used to

straddle (Sit or stand with one leg on either side of) an object or
workspace, also called portal cranes.

An industrial robot is a robot system used for manufacturing. Industrial robots

are automated, programmable and capable of movement on three or more
ROBOTIC ARM SYSTEM
axis. 19
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

PRINTING SYSTEMS:

Printer developed by COBOD International One of the first versions of the D-Shape gantry printer
(formerly known as 3DPrinthuset, now its sister system
company)
20
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

PRINTING:
Over half the processes under development employ extrusion, typically a small continuous filament,
pumped through a nozzle often mounted on a gantry or robotic arm that positions the material during the
build process. The material is typically a high cement content mortar, The shape of the extrusion varies
and is either circular, ovular or rectangular and linear the component types, print orientations and
geometrical features can be classified into the three application families;

• Components, either stand alone (c) or for assembly (d and e);

• Walls and columns printed in-situ (f); and,
• Permanent shuttering where the shutter is printed and the structural element is cast conventionally (a
and b).

PRINTER
NOZZLE
21
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the

manufactured components.

a) A panel, horizontally
printed, shell and fill
application.
Image: 4TU project 3D
printing on flexible mould
TU Delft and TU Eindhoven,
Netherlands.
22
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the MMBC VIII

manufactured components.

b) An in-situ wall, vertically

printed, shell and fill
application.
Image credit: Winsun, China
Source:
[Link]
printed-apartment-building/
23
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the MMBC VIII

manufactured components.

c) A solid geometry,
vertically printed
component.
Image: Loughborough
University, UK.

24
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the MMBC VIII
manufactured components.

d) A vertically printed panel

component.
Image: courtesy of XTreeE,
France
25
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the MMBC VIII
manufactured components.

e) Horizontal component
manufacture.
Image: Loughborough
University, UK
26
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII
Examples of 3DCP application type and orientation of the
manufactured components.

f) Vertically printed, in-situ

walls and columns.
Image: courtesy of Andrey
Rudenko, Total Kustom, USA

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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII
3 D Printing
Applications in
Building Industry

Office of the Future in Dubai

The 3D printed office was designed for the United Arab

Emirates National Committee as the headquarter for the
Side view of Office of the Future in Dubai
Dubai Futures Foundation. The so-called “Office of the
Future” primarily serves as a meeting space for parties
from all over the globe. The 3D printed office is a fully
functional building featuring electricity, water and
telecommunications and air-conditioning systems. The
3D printed house was produced in China. After the parts
had been printed, they were shipped to Dubai. The
project ultimately reduced labour costs by 50 % to 80%
and construction waste by 30% to 60%. It is considered
as the catalyst behind the construction 3D printing
revolution happening in Dubai
Front view 28
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII
3 D Printing
Applications in
Building Industry

Apis Cor Printed House in Russia

A Russian company has done just, with a 400-square-

foot-home being built from scratch in just 24 hours in
Front view of Apis Cor House in Russia Moscow. The cost of the building is $10,000,
highlighting just how much potential the 3D printing
technology has for the future. The house was built
entirely on site using nothing but a mobile 3D printer,
which makes all the results impressive. It is a house
that is certainly habitable and short on space. The fact
that it was produced at such low-cost in 24 hours. All
the walls and foundations of this structure were printed
with a concrete mixture and other parts such as
windows, fixtures and furniture being added after
construction.
Contour Crafting Process Apis Cor House 29
3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

30
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

3D Printing of Buildings for Construction of the Sustainable Houses:

Houses can built based on the material life cycle, that can be used in evaluating the environmental
sustainability of building materials. Creating the buildings with complicated shapes, may become one
of the biggest advantages for most architects. Their imagination will be able to defeat previous
obstacles related to limitation of traditional techniques of building. 3D printing may transform
nowadays architecture, nevertheless, this technique should be developed taking into consideration
sustainability issues both for material selection and construction method. There are numerous
advantages coming from developing 3D technology in construction and most important ones could be
resumed as: Lower costs – the cost of printing construction elements of houses is much lower than
traditional construction methods, also material transportation and storage on sites is limited;
Environmental friendly construction processes and the use of raw materials with low embodied
energy (i.e. construction and industrial wastes); Reduced number of injuries and fatalities onsite as
the printers will be able to do most hazardous and dangerous works. Wet construction processes are
minimized, so that building erection process generate less material wastes and dust compared to
traditional methods; Time savings – time required to complete the building can be considerably
reduced.
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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

Potential Implications of 3D Printing for the Home Building Industry:

• Onsite or factory applications. • Printed products only use as much material as needed to form them.
This means fewer resources are required and less waste is generated. • Reduced transportation costs if
products are printed on-site (although the cost of transporting the printer can be expensive due to the size
of printers currently needed for construction). • Potential to create more efficient and interesting designs
as 3D printing can achieve shapes that conventional techniques cannot. • Lower labour costs. • Reduced
cost of customized design (with 3D printing, it costs the same to create one item as to produce
thousands.) • Reduced health and safety risks if 3D printing can be used to produce assemblies that
would otherwise need special equipment and precautions to be taken. • Current challenges to be
overcome include: • More expensive than conventional construction due to high cost of 3D printer and
lack of familiarity in the industry with 3D printing technologies and applications. • Currently, a limited
number of materials have been used, although experimentation is underway with printers capable of
using multiple materials to produce more complex assemblies. • 3D printers can be large and, therefore,
difficult and costly to place on site. • 3D printing incurs more up-front costs to create the digital model that
will result in safe, cost-effective products. • Printers are currently slow compared to conventional
construction, although they can be operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. • The potential of a
disruptive impact on the type of skills and labour needed to design and build homes.

32
 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

Conclusions:

There are different technologies for 3D printing system and we realize that BIM is also one of the
synchronizing equipment for 3D print system and for future plan and calculation of the building will be
automatically defined by BIM so benefit of the BIM will be future plans of society and building
economically income and outcome. To use BIM also can be improve the design details and accuracy of
the designed buildings and plan of action will be more specified by using BIM detailed system. It is hard
to imagine so far that 3D printing could replace traditional construction in next few years. It is more
possible, that both technologies will be present in the industry and 3D printing may be developed along
with the traditional techniques, supporting them, especially in case of more sophisticated building
projects.

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 3D PRINTING IN CONSTRUCTION
MMBC VIII

REFERENCE:

• Will 3D Printing Remodel the Industry?

Construction romain delaubier , marius wunder , sven witthöft , and christoph rothballer.

• The Effect of 3D Printing on Global Construction by Rachel Burger.

• Construction 3D printing Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.

• Designing Buildings Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia.

• 3D Printing of Buildings: Construction of the Sustainable Houses of the Future by BIM,

Mehmet Sakin*, Yusuf Caner Kiroglu Hasan Kalyoncu University havalimani yolu uzeri [Link], Gaziantep / Turkey

• 3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research. R.A. Buswella,*, W.R. Leal de Silvab, S.Z. Jonesc, J. Dirrenbergerd,e
a School of Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering, Loughborough University, UK
b The Concrete Centre, The Danish Technological Institute, Denmark
c Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA
d Laboratoire PIMM, Arts et Métiers-ParisTech, Cnam, CNRS, Paris, France
e XtreeE, 18/20 rue du Jura, CP 40502, Rungis Cedex 94623, France

• Purview of 3DP in the Indian Built Environment Sector, Taqdees Anjuma* Poorvesh Dongrea Fozail Misbaha VPS Nihar Nanyama
aRICS School of Built Environment, Noida 201 301, UP, India

34