Once the stuff of imagination, concrete 3D printing has found a very real space for itself in modern-day construction. This building technique, a means of creating durable, cost-effective structures quickly and with far less manpower than with traditional methods, has gained in popularity. At General Chipping, we love seeing the concrete industry change with the times — and educating others about those advances. Here, we’ve pulled together a few things you should know about concrete 3D printing.
How Concrete 3D Printing Works
This building technique is basically concrete extrusion on a grand (and high-tech) scale. Using specialized software, an architect or construction firm will first create a 3D model, a guide that tells the printer what to make. From there, that model is divided up and translated into a language the printer understands. Once plans are in place and the building site is prepped, the crew is basically ready to roll.
Prepared concrete is pumped into the concrete printer — which, for projects the size of buildings, is a sizable machine. Of course, there are multiple types of concrete 3D printers out there. A gantry-style concrete 3D printer uses three axes to chart its course, pumping concrete out through a moving printer head suspended on overhead rails. This tends to be the best option for large-scale projects, as the concrete 3D printer itself is large and difficult to move. Another option is a concrete 3D printer that operates with help from a robotic arm supported by an overhead crane-like device. This option uses six axes to complete its work, making it easier to complete more complex shapes. Robotic arm concrete printers tend to be smaller and more portable than gantry-style varieties. And, although their size has limited them to smaller projects in the past, recent advancements have made it possible for them to create structures on the larger scale. If you’d like to learn more about concrete 3D printer options, the 3Dnatives website offers a wealth of information.
Applications for Concrete 3D Printing
Now that concrete 3D printing has become more readily available, it seems the opportunities are virtually endless. This technology is being used in all sorts of innovative ways, from eye-catching foot bridges, to plans for neighborhoods filled with homes created by concrete 3D printing. In fact, Habitat for Humanity recently completed its first 3D-printed home, and it took just 28 hours, as opposed to the four weeks traditional builds take. Thanks to the time and cost savings this technology tends to offer (and due to the fact that it requires fewer workers to get the job done) this is one trend expected to have real staying power. NBC News notes it as a major solution to the problem of access to affordable housing, for instance. Meanwhile, Innovation Origins reports that companies are finding ways to complete concrete 3D printing projects with sustainable concrete. That’s good news for an industry working so diligently to lower its carbon footprint.
At General Chipping, we’re keeping an eye on this exciting industry advancement, and we can’t wait to see where things go from here. In the meantime, we’re always ready to roll up our sleeves on the redi mix drum chipping, central mixer cleaning and cement silo cleaning services it takes to keep your traditional concrete pours running smoothly. Contact our team to learn more!
