what can 3-D printing technology do for construction industrial
3-D technology is first introduced in 1995 by MIT. The basic principle is to perform a print that the machine reads the design and lays down
successive layers of liquid, powder, or sheet material to build the
model from a series of cross sections. These layers, which correspond to
the virtual cross sections from the CAD model, are joined together or
automatically fused to create the final shape. The primary advantage of
this technique is its ability to create almost any shape or geometric
feature.
This video may gives an idea about how 3-D printer work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aghzpO_UZE
I dare to say that industrial revolution is happening with this type of technology. Just like steam engine change the traditional way of manufacturing, think about how easier and faster it is compare to old ways. And it does save up about 99% waste. It also provides much more possibilities to make things happen, say, we do not need to send tools to the space station but only 3-D printer and some raw material powder. we can also make something seems impossible.. XD
So, back to construction industrial, I found some interesting news: Amsterdam-based Universe Architecture hopes to build the world's first
3D-printed house as early as 2014. Website:http://www.gizmag.com/giant-3d-printer-endless-house/25913/
Basically, doing 3-D printing in construction is also called Contour Crafting. I will look into it in my future study. Here is a simple picture showing how it works on structure of buildings.
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This video may gives an idea about how 3-D printer work:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aghzpO_UZE
I dare to say that industrial revolution is happening with this type of technology. Just like steam engine change the traditional way of manufacturing, think about how easier and faster it is compare to old ways. And it does save up about 99% waste. It also provides much more possibilities to make things happen, say, we do not need to send tools to the space station but only 3-D printer and some raw material powder. we can also make something seems impossible.. XD
Basically, doing 3-D printing in construction is also called Contour Crafting. I will look into it in my future study. Here is a simple picture showing how it works on structure of buildings.
A lot of headache we have in construction site can be saved with this contour crafting technology, for example, labor management, safety, scheduling... More important, it is "greener" if 90% of concrete waste can be saved. The only thing need to be worried is to input the right drawing...XD
I remember the final project of Principle of Sustainable Buildings I took last semester is to build earth bag construction which use locally available material, like dirt and sand to build a house. With this technology, We probably make it easier. Go further, think about building a shelter or station on the moon..
L45~UE%5DFCY%7BJM81%7D1T%5DRIG.jpg)
Although this technology is still in developing and single-functioning on building's structure for now, the exciting part is it is getting more cheaper and more delicate. It’s only a
matter of time for it's mature industrial utilization.
This technology is impressive!!
ReplyDeleteI was reading about “Reverse Engineering” some years ago, however by watching this youtube video I realized its functionality in hands of modern technology. Reverse engineering is defined as “the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation” (Eliam, E., Chikofsky, E., 2007). In fact the concept behind reverse engineering is breaking something down in order to understand it, build a copy or improve it. There is no doubt that this improvement will bring major benefits for all industries.
“Contour Crafting”, as the implementation of 3D-printing in construction industry, is somehow following the same procedures. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxqROe8tevo
The main material used in Contour Crafting is concrete which is not properly recyclable. Here my question is:
Is Contour Crafting really regarded as a sustainable way of constructing?
I saw this video online a couple weeks ago and was blown away with the technology! Its ability to exactly replicate object with no waste is truly revolutionary. However, I'm not sure of its application in constructing a printed house. Will the material used in the printing be strong enough to build a house? Will the material last under the elements for the buildings life span? Is the material being used in the printing truly sustainable, and what are its impacts on the environments? Can such a precise technology be used in the field effectively? All these questions and many more need to be addressed before a fully printed building can be realized.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in Architecture school, there was a project working on building innovations. One of the teams focused on 3D-Printing and the concept of building an actual building with the same system. As exciting as it seems at first, a lot of questions should be answered. Not only about the material and its durability and stability, but also whether or not the system would be able to satisfy our demands. Are we going to design within the limits of this system? And is this system actually going to build green? At this time, we are using various materials in our buildings for different functions and reasons. is it possible that a single material would be able to provide all demands? The video is showing the possibility of building complicated models in small scale, as we all know building in larger scale is a whole different story.
ReplyDeleteI remember first really hearing about 3D-Printing in an undergraduate class. Speculation was that maybe one day a 3D-Printer could create a Stradivarius violin. Well, a German company called EOS has successfully printed a Stradivarius replica. The article is here: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-09/20/3d-printed-stradivarius-violin-eos.
ReplyDeleteThere is also a video on youtube that shows the violin being played:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU3AZmf6O7I
This technology is still in its infancy, but it is really amazing to say the least. Its usefulness in creating smaller items is already being explored, though we are far removed from being able to use it for large applications (like a house) as you pointed out. It will be interesting to see where this technology goes and what it can do during our lifetimes.
I think this stuff is interesting! Being a former architecture student and building projects physically compared to printing a building from computer, I'd learned that this practice is noticeably better in time, craft, and design. When building from a computer, you are not limited in the built design. An opening of opportunities arise when constructing digitally form and function. If compared to construction of a real building, labor, cost, material, etc. will be significantly reduced. However in reality, how may such material built form a 3d printer compare to today's building material? It is a better to switch to building in 3d when it comes to strength and duration of buildings built today? It seems possible that sustainable construction is achieved through reducing the amount of work needed but that will reduce jobs and workers. Allowing 3d printing construction will affect the entire construction industry if it came to affect today, but it is already somewhat in practice considering all the advancing technology.
ReplyDelete