A Systematic Review of the Geographic and Chronological Distributions of 3D Concrete Printers from 1997 to 2020

Although several previous studies have reviewed 3DCPs, they have been based on few cases and do not include the latest 3DCPs. This study analyzed 139 academic papers and 98 types of three-dimensional concrete printers (3DCPs) developed from 1997 to 2020 through a systematic literature review. A chronological distribution analysis showed that the number of papers and printers suddenly increased after 2012. Most papers (89%) and 3DCPs (86%) were produced from 2012 to 2020. A geographic distribution analysis showed that while Switzerland published more papers than the US, the latter developed more than twice as many 3DCPs than Switzerland. The difference is attributed to who led the development: the industry (US) or academia (Switzerland). Among nozzle-traveling 3DCPs, gantry and cable-suspended platforms were the most common types for some time, but the robotic arm type has spread considerably in the last five years. Since 2013, mobile and collaborative 3DCPs have also increased.