Cost Calculation of Concrete 3D Printing (2020-03)¶

Additive manufacturing processes, commonly referred to as 3D printing processes, were initially developed for stationary industry and are characterized by a high degree of automation. They are part of the Industry 4.0 strategy and also represent a great opportunity for the construction industry to increase efficiency. This article demonstrates that concrete 3D printing processes, and in particular the CONPrint3D® process, are economically advantageous compared to conventional manufacturing methods for wall constructions made of masonry or concrete and have demonstrably great potential in terms of cost and time savings. Specific performance values were determined for the CONPrint3D® process as part of evaluations accompanying the research and these were compared with the wall construction systems of sand-lime brick (KS-Stein) masonry, brick masonry and reinforced concrete in an economic efficiency analysis. A differential cost analysis is used to calculate the maximum equipment costs for the printing machine per m2 of wall area and per unit of time. It can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that concrete 3D printers can be used economically within the calculated equipment cost budget.