Construction 3D Printing
The AEC industry consists of three separate segments: architecture, engineering and construction. Thus, by integrating these seemingly separate entities into a single industry, ACE professionals can work more efficiently. For architects, engineers, and contractors alike, construction 3D printing represents the full integration of these approaches.
Over the past two decades, these segments have undergone a deep transformation by adopting digital and 3D technologies. As a result, architecture first, and engineering shortly thereafter, have already embraced the digital manufacturing workflow. On the other hand, the construction segment has only recently begun to look at 3D printing and the use of digital additive technologies. The potential to replace “analogic” practices and manual labor is a huge opportunity.
Change is inevitable
While it appears inevitable, the shift toward construction 3D printing is not going to be an easy and seamless transition. Furthermore, the construction industry has typically been slow to embrace technology. This is now changing for the good. The use of technology to deliver projects is accelerating. The appropriate use of the correct technologies can help to deliver successful projects.
Want to know more?
See the latest report DIGITALIZING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY WITH ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING: AN OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS AND TEN-YEAR FORECAST
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Student-designed bridge combines two robotic construction techniques
Bridges have become a popular way for research groups and additive manufacturing companies to demonstrate their technologies. It makes sense. Bridges combine architecture and performance while also engaging directly with people. While not every person may recognize the ingenious nature of a topologically optimized engine component, a state-of-the art bridge…
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Ai Build, 3DVinci, BESIX 3D collaborate on Deciduous 3D printed pavilion by MEAN
Ai Build, a company that the readers of this website should know well, collaborated with a team of other creative firms in the UAE 3D printing scene, to create the Deciduous 3D printed pavilion, a digitally and additively manufactured structure that invites us to revisit our relationship with nature, through an…
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Winsun completes world’s first, 500 meters long, 3D printed river revetment wall
Located in the Jiangsu region, the town of Suzhou is a former mining town that has been completely rebuilt, attracting investments from some of the largest construction companies in the world. Old mines have been rapidly transformed into beautiful parks bringing the city to its former glory when it gave…
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Hamilton Holdings signs with Saint-Gobain to set up Construction AM Hub in Singapore
Singapore-based construction 3D printing company Hamilton Holdings has teamed up with Ang Cheng Guan Construction (ACG) and Saint-Gobain to establish Hamilton Labs Additive Manufacturing & Robotics Hub and to drive 3D concrete printing and digital construction in Singapore. The Hub will see the deployment of robotics, automation technologies and advanced…
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ACCIONA opens global 3D printing center in Dubai
Spain-based sustainable infrastructure company ACCIONA has opened a new global 3D printing center in Dubai, which houses the world’s largest operational 3D printer based on powder bed technology. The new center will be used to 3D print infrastructure elements to meet the growing demand for construction 3D printing in the…
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WASP begins work on TECLA, a 3D printed sustainable habitat
Just outside of Bologna, work is advancing on an ambitious construction 3D printing project spearheaded by Italian company WASP and Mario Cucinella Architects. Together, the companies are constructing the first prototype of a sustainable, 3D printed habitat called TECLA. If you are familiar with WASP, you’ll know that the Italian…
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Dubai constructs largest 3D printed two-storey building in the world
The government of Dubai today announced another milestone for the UAE city in the area of construction 3D printing. Now, not only is Dubai home to the first 3D printed office building, it also hosts the largest 3D printed two-storey structure in the world. The building, which spans 640 square…
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Mud Frontiers: Emerging Objects 3D prints four structures made from mud
Architects Ronald Rael and Virginia San Fratello, founders of the Emerging Objects studio, are not known for shying away from ambitious work. Their most recent project proves that once again. The partners have 3D printed four structures made from a mud-based material which are inspired by the historical Rio Grande…
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NYU Tandon team developing mobile 3D printers that work as a team
A multidisciplinary team from the NYU Tandon School of Engineering has received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop autonomous, mobile construction 3D printers. Down the line, the researchers hope that their work will untether 3D printers, so to speak, and enable them to build…
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Vertico 3D prints concrete footbridge with 60% less material
Vertico, a Dutch firm that has developed a concrete 3D printing technology, recently demonstrated its capabilities by 3D printing a concrete footbridge in collaboration with the University of Ghent. Not only a feat for its concrete AM technology, the bridge showcases Vertico’s ability to utilize optimized design to reduce material…
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