Additive manufacturing of concrete wall structures

Abstract

3D concrete printing is a perspective technology for sustainable construction and realization of sophisticated architectural projects. The current research proposes the thermal engineering calculation of wall structure based on the 3D printed concrete element of a total thickness of 150 mm with the internal air layer about 75 mm. The 3D printing mixture was designed with the addition of perlite as filler in the dosage of 8 % by weight of cement. The printing process was performed by the 3D printer of Contour Crafting type through the nozzle with a size of 20 mm. The thermal engineering calculation was implemented for the A++ energy consumption class. The wall structure based on the 3D printed concrete element with perlit has the thermal resistance comparable with one for wall structures based on brick and aerated concrete. The total thickness of the designed wall structure with 3D printed concrete element decreased by 100 mm and 50 mm in comparison with wall structures based on brick and aerated concrete, respectively. In addition to the thermal engineering calculations, the visual assessment of the surface quality of 3D printed concrete wall elements was performed.