Teaching Additive Manufacturing with Consideration for Cementitious Materials (2023-11)¶

Additive manufacturing using material deposition methods continues to be a rapidly expanding field. Researchers have now begun to adapt these manufacturing methods to include cementitious materials. The impact on concrete design and construction methods are expected to undergo significant changes as a result of this new technology. However, as with adopting any new technology, knowledge transfer is critical to assure successful implementation. For engineers, this knowledge transfer begins with their coursework and faculty who can encourage students to explore new areas and readily apply what they learn. Since the field of printing concrete is still emerging, many of the applications and impacts of the technology are not adequately characterized. Furthermore, the technology itself has not been fully investigated or included in design literature. Incorporating ambiguity, multi-disciplinary teams, and open-ended problems successfully in undergraduate and graduate courses can be challenging. The goal of this paper is to advise faculty who wish to incorporate additive manufacturing topics related to cementitious materials in their courses.