Adaptive Foam-Concrete in Digital Fabrication (2022-06)¶

One of the process-related advantages of 3D concrete printing (3DCP) is the exact placement of concrete. It only seems logical, that the production method has to be developed further so that a specific concrete with specific properties can be actively placed where it needs to be. For this purpose, a suitable technology has been developed, which makes it possible to print foam concrete in different densities by extrusion method (150–1000 kg/m3). This innovation opens up new areas of shaping and manufacturing of effective building structures. In contrast to conventional casting of concrete, construction components can now be composed of predefined zones that have different building physic, static and structural requirements due to the corresponding concrete type (gradient concrete structures). The research at hand determines the requirements along the entire process chain through several prototypes. The results provide information about the feasibility of 3DP with adaptive foam concrete. With the possibility of grading the properties of the concrete within each building component, lighter and more sustainable buildings can be realized while conserving valuable resources.