Current Progress of 3D Concrete Printing Technologies

The construction industry is expected to go through large transformations since construction automation is anticipated to drastically alter standard processing technologies and could lead to possible disrupting technologies such as 3D concrete printing (3DCP). While 3D printing techniques have been successfully applied in a wide range of industries such as aerospace and automotive, its application in concrete construction industry is still in its infancy. 3DCP can allow freeform construction without the use of expensive formwork, which in return offers excellent advantages compared to conventional approach of casting concrete into a formwork. In the last few years, different 3DCP technologies have been developed. This paper presents the current progress of 3DCP technologies. An innovative methodology recently developed by the authors of this study for formulating geopolymer-based material for the requirements and demands of commercially available powder-based 3D printers is also briefly presented.