Loughborough University in UK has announced to carry out the development of 3d printing. This revelation was the result of a deal with construction company Skanska and architecture firm Foster + Partners.
Development of 3D concrete printing technology with the aim of commercialization has been going on for the past 7 years at the Loughborough’s School of Civil and Building Engineering. The research has been refined now and the team is coming up with an assembly of a gantry and a robotic arm. The robotic arm is, in fact, in the second phase of development.
The assembly basically lays cement-based mortar into layers and is controlled by a very precise computer control, thus creating the components for building that are joined later on. This would, as per the researchers, allow for building of complex structures that, if built with current construction techniques, are difficult and time-consuming.
Rob Francis, Skanska’s Director of innovation and business improvement, explained, “3D concrete printing, when combined with a type of mobile prefabrication center, has the potential to reduce the time needed to create complex elements of buildings from weeks to hours.”
Let’s see how this technology pans out!
