News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
According to the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn), a groundbreaking concrete innovation could change the way we build—and how we fight climate change. Researchers there have combined 3D printing with fossilized microscopic algae to create a new type of concrete that captures significantly more carbon dioxide while using less cement.
It is telling that this year’s Venice Biennale of Architecture features a plethora of 3D printed works, from Anti-Ruin, a 3D printed gate made from a marble dust material, to Picoplanktonics, a living 3D printed installation at the Canadian Pavilion. The technology is clearly at the cutting-edge of architecture and is an effective tool for architects and designers to reimagine and play with new designs and materials. We recently learned of yet another 3D printed project, which is on display in Venice’s Giardini della Marinaressa: Duality, a sculpture 3D printed from colored concrete.
According to The Slovak Spectator, Bratislava has welcomed the city’s first-ever 3D printed bus stop – located on Harmincova Street in the Dúbravka borough. Completed in early April, the bus stop is the result of a collaboration between the architectural studio Architekti Šebo Lichý and ITB Development – the investor behind the nearby Čerešne residential project – as well as Collarch and the Czech company ICE Industrial Services, which handled the 3D printing of the concrete components.
Sperra, a producer of structural systems for aquatic environments, has entered a partnership with Philippe and Ashlan Cousteau’s Bluetech venture, Voyacy Regen, to support a pioneering coral reef resiliency project in Aqaba, Jordan. This initiative, led by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Aqaba Development Corporation, integrates Sperra’s cutting-edge 3D concrete printing to restore marine ecosystems in the Red Sea.
A groundbreaking 3D printing system developed by Chinese scientists at Tiandu Laboratory has explored using only on-site-sourced lunar soil to build habitats, paving the way for the large-scale, on-site construction of lunar research stations. The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui Province, has successfully prototyped a lunar regolith 3D printer that eliminates the need for Earth-sourced construction materials, according to Yang Honglun, a senior engineer at the lab.
Construction 3D printing specialist COBOD International has developed what it refers to as the “first commercially available multifunctional construction robot”. Engineered in cooperation with Technical University of Braunschweig’s Institute for Structural Design (ITE), the robotic system is capable of both depositing layers of concrete in-situ using COBOD’s gantry-based system and Shotcrete 3D printing thanks to the integration of a telescopic unit with robotic arm. This added functionality facilitates the printing of more complex structures, including those with overhangs, like tunnels, as well as to print retaining walls and to reinforce concrete.
In recent years, 3D printing has been positioned as a promising solution for building habitats both on the Moon and on Mars. It makes sense: launching building supplies from Earth into space would be prohibitively expensive and 3D printing could offer a way to make structures using local materials. An innovative research project coming out of Texas A&M University is exploring this possibility and adding a new dimension to it through the introduction of living materials.
In Canada, Indigenous communities face a serious housing crisis, with the Assembly of First Nations reporting that well over 150,000 new homes are required in order to begin to close the housing gap. To help address this urgent need for housing, Toronto-based real estate developer Horizon Legacy has teamed up with Two Row Architect, a native-owned firm from Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in southern Ontario. Together, the partners are breaking ground on a new construction project that will use robotic 3D printing technology to build a three-story residential building.
United Utilities, a British water supply company, is progressing its plans to adopt 3D printing methods across its AMP8 delivery and daily operations. The move comes as the trailblazing ‘Water Industry Printfrastructure’ (WIP) project reaches its conclusion after two successful years during which several industry firsts have been achieved. Funded through Ofwat’s Innovation Fund, the project was led by United Utilities, in partnership with tech innovators ChangeMaker3D, Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) PrintCity, and Scottish Water.
Texas A&M Agrilife Research, QuadTex, and ICON, a leading construction 3D printing company, have recently completed three 3D printed homes for student housing in McGregor, Texas. The 1,197-square-foot homes will provide housing for students participating in agricultural research and technology innovation at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research station in McGregor.