Page 28 - Designing Ways 242

3D PRINTING

occupation mid-2020. The time between
design and realization of the first house
is relatively long, as all engineering has
to be done for the first time ever. It is
expected that the time between design
and realisation will eventually decrease
radically.
The other four houses will be multi-
storey houses. These houses will have
printed concrete floors and a printed
concrete roof. All houses will have
foundations based on conventional
concrete pouring technology.
The design of the houses is based on
erratic blocks in a green landscape. The
irregular shape of the buildings can be
realized thanks to one of the key features
of 3D-printing: the ability to construct
almost any shape.

Why 3D Concrete Printing?
Concrete has been the most used building
material in the world for decades. Everyone
is familiar with it, knows what it looks like,
where it is used. This is now changing.
Experiments have recently started with
the 3D printing of concrete. At first glance lay concrete only where it is needed Another advantage is freedom of
this seems surprising, the finesse that constructively. Traditionally poured form. With 3D concrete printing, very
comes with printing does not fit with the concrete is solid, and contains much more fine concrete structures are possible.
plump character of concrete. Nevertheless, concrete than is needed constructively. In the traditional pouring of concrete,
3D-printed concrete has all kinds of assets More is being used, which is bad for the formwork determines the shape of
that it needs for a great future. CO2 emissions, because with producing concrete. With concrete prints, builders
One of those advantages is that cement a lot of this greenhouse gas is will soon be able to make concrete details
the concrete printer has the ability to released. as small as a pea, and round, hollow

28 Issue 242 • dw