Design-to-Fabrication Workflow for 3D Concrete Printed Structures with Embedded Periodic Anticlastic Surfaces (2026-03)¶

This paper presents an integrated computational design and digital fabrication workflow, creating tension and compression combined spanning structures through 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP). The approach combines Polyhedral Graphic Statics (PGS) for structural form-finding, and the optimized periodic anticlastic geometries inspired by Triply Periodic Minimal Surfaces (TPMS) for material distribution. The PGS implementation enables visualization and control of force flow in three dimensions, allowing precise allocation of materials—depositing concrete in compression zones and steel cables in tension regions. 3DCP’s technical constraints are addressed by developing algorithms that minimize local overhang angles and generate continuous toolpaths, allowing complex geometries to be printed while maintaining their form. The methodology achieves three key objectives: (1) optimizing material distribution through force-informed design to create tension–compression combined structures, (2) enabling rapid fabrication of complex geometries that would be impractical with traditional construction methods that require formwork, and (3) developing a modular approach that overcomes build volume limitations through strategic segmentation and post-tensioning assembly techniques. This workflow is validated by designing, printing, and constructing a three-meter beam prototype, demonstrating how the comprehensive digital design approach results in a physical structure through additive manufacturing and construction.