Evaluating the Potential Of 3D Concrete Printing to Revolutionize Quality Control in Construct
Downloads
The construction industry has encountered significant quality control challenges, including material inconsistencies, human error, construction defects, and project delays. Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP), also known as additive manufacturing in construction, has emerged as an innovative technology capable of addressing many of these challenges. Through the automated layer-by-layer deposition of concrete based on digital models, 3DCP enhances dimensional accuracy, reduces human intervention, and enables real-time monitoring and quality assurance.
This study investigates the role of 3D concrete printing in improving quality management practices in construction projects. The paper reviews existing literature, examines quality control methodologies employed in 3DCP, presents comparative analyses of performance indicators, and evaluates the benefits and limitations associated with this technology. The findings indicate that 3DCP has significant potential to improve construction quality, reduce material waste, and increase productivity. However, challenges related to standardization, material performance, and regulatory acceptance continue to impede its widespread adoption.
Buswell, R. A., Soar, R. C., Gibb, A. G. F., & Thorpe, A. (2007). Freeform construction: Mega-scale rapid manufacturing for construction. Automation in Construction, 16(2), 224–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2006.05.002
Khoshnevis, B. (2004). Automated construction by contour crafting—Related robotics and information technologies. Automation in Construction, 13(1), 5–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0926-5805(03)00066-1
Lim, S., Buswell, R. A., Le, T. T., Austin, S. A., Gibb, A. G. F., & Thorpe, T. (2012). Developments in construction-scale additive manufacturing processes. Automation in Construction, 21, 262–268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2011.06.010
Le, T. T., Austin, S. A., Lim, S., Buswell, R. A., Gibb, A. G. F., & Thorpe, T. (2012). Mix design and fresh properties for high-performance printing concrete. Materials and Structures, 45(8), 1221–1232. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-012-9828-z
Perrot, A., Rangeard, D., & Pierre, A. (2016). Structural built-up of cement-based materials used for 3D-printing extrusion techniques. Materials and Structures, 49(4), 1213–1220. https://doi.org/10.1617/s11527-015-0571-0
Bos, F. P., Wolfs, R. J. M., Ahmed, Z. Y., & Salet, T. A. M. (2016). Additive manufacturing of concrete in construction: Potentials and challenges of 3D concrete printing. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 11(3), 209–225. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2016.1209867
Tay, Y. W. D., Panda, B., Paul, S. C., Mohamed, N. A. N., Tan, M. J., & Leong, K. F. (2017). 3D printing trends in building and construction industry: A review. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 12(3), 261–276. https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2017.1326724
Kazemian, A., Yuan, X., Cochran, E., & Khoshnevis, B. (2017). Cementitious materials for construction-scale 3D printing. Construction and Building Materials, 145, 639–647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.04.015
Nematollahi, B., Xia, M., & Sanjayan, J. (2017). Current progress of 3D concrete printing technologies. Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies.
Roussel, N. (2018). Rheological requirements for printable concrete. Cement and Concrete Research, 112, 76–85.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.04.005
Ngo, T. D., Kashani, A., Imbalzano, G., Nguyen, K. T. Q., & Hui, D. (2018). Additive manufacturing in construction: A review of opportunities and challenges in 3D concrete printing. Composites Part B: Engineering, 143, 172–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.01.027
Ma, G., & Wang, L. (2018). A critical review of preparation design and workability measurement of concrete material for large-scale 3D printing. Frontiers of Structural and Civil Engineering, 12(3), 382–400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11709-017-0430-x
Paul, S. C., Tay, Y. W. D., Panda, B., & Tan, M. J. (2018). Fresh and hardened properties of 3D printable cementitious materials. Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, 18(1), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acme.2017.02.008
Buswell, R. A., Leal de Silva, W. R., Jones, S. Z., & Dirrenberger, J. (2018). 3D printing using concrete extrusion: A roadmap for research. Cement and Concrete Research, 112, 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2018.05.006 [hal.science], [repository...boro.ac.uk]
Panda, B., & Tan, M. J. (2018). Experimental study on mix proportion and fresh properties of fly ash-based geopolymer for 3D concrete printing. Ceramics International, 44(9), 10258–10265.
Wangler, T., Roussel, N., Bos, F. P., Salet, T. A. M., & Flatt, R. J. (2019). Digital concrete: A review. Cement and Concrete Research, 123, 105780. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2019.105780 [research.tue.nl], [research.tue.nl]
Wolfs, R. J. M., Bos, F. P., & Salet, T. A. M. (2019). Hardened properties of 3D printed concrete: The influence of process parameters on interlayer adhesion. Cement and Concrete Research, 119, 132–140.
Zhang, J., Wang, J., Dong, S., & Yu, X. (2019). A review of the current progress and application of 3D printed concrete. Composites Part B: Engineering, 175, 107101.
Marchment, T., & Sanjayan, J. (2020). Methodologies for quality assurance in additive manufacturing for construction. Automation in Construction, 119, 103356.
Lu, B., Wang, J., Nematollahi, B., & Sanjayan, J. (2020). Current progress of 3D concrete printing technologies and future research directions. Construction and Building Materials, 256, 119463.
Mechtcherine, V., Bos, F. P., Perrot, A., Leal da Silva, W. R., Nerella, V. N., Fataei, S., Wolfs, R. J. M., Sonebi, M., & Roussel, N. (2020). Extrusion-based additive manufacturing with cement-based materials—Production steps, processes, and their underlying physics: A review. Cement and Concrete Research, 132, 106037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconres.2020.106037 [pure.qub.ac.uk], [research.tue.nl]
Paul, S. C., & Van Zijl, G. P. A. G. (2021). Recent developments in 3D concrete printing. Construction and Building Materials, 303, 124482.
Xiao, J., Ji, G., Zhang, Y., Ma, G., Mechtcherine, V., et al. (2021). Large-scale 3D printing concrete technology: Current status and future opportunities. Cement and Concrete Composites, 122, 104115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2021.104115 [colab.ws], [ivysci.com]
Sanjayan, J., Nazari, A., Nematollahi, B., & Xia, M. (2021). Handbook of 3D Concrete Printing. Springer.
