The Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in Austria is working on a project investigating the development of 3D printed concrete parts for construction. The project on additive manufacturing of concrete elements using robots (COEBRO) is investigating resource efficiency in the use of concrete with 3D printing.
A multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers and materials technologists collaborate in the COEBRO project, founded in 2015. The research has been carried out in collaboration with the scientific and business partners of the TU Graz by members of the Institute for Structural Design.
The Austrian national funding agency for research and industrial development, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), supports the initiative. The FFG’s Bridge programme, a financial network that aims to carry out research in collaboration with universities and companies from industry and science, is particularly responsible for providing funding for the COEBRO project.
Together with Bernhard Freytag of the Structural Engineering Laboratory and Viet Tue Nguyen of the Structural Concrete Institute, Stefan Peters and Andreas Trummer of the Structural Design Institute are in charge of the COEBRO project. The Swedish-Swiss technology and robotics company ABB, the machine supplier HAGE, the chemical manufacturer Sika, the formwork and scaffolding manufacturer PERI and the precast specialist Kirchdorfer are involved in the project.
The COEBRO team wants to use 3D printing to accelerate the production of precast concrete components. At present, concrete is cast by means of formwork in the conventional manufacturing process based on casting technology. Basic fossil fuels such as coal and oil are used for the construction of this technology.
A team of robotics has developed a 3D printer that can produce concrete parts from a digital model, a completely “form-free” approach to construction. The COEBRO project aims to reduce the amount of concrete required for building construction while maintaining the same robust qualities produced by traditional casting technology.
The COEBRO team successfully created two precast concrete components using their 3D printer as a technological test. The design of one section was inspired by a roof element found in many European structures, while the design of the other part was inspired by a more intricate house façade that was too complex for casting technology.
Harnessing 3D printing Before fabrication, the movements of the robot attached to the 3D printer had to be examined. Engineer Chris Peters explains: “If I have a formwork with a certain shape, all I have to do is pour the concrete into it, and everything will work. Before fabrication, the two 3D printed parts had to be thoroughly investigated to determine the potential savings.
Specialists working on the COEBRO project agree that it will be some time before 3D concrete printers can build complete prefabricated houses. But it is expected that three to five years after the completion of this project, the construction sector will be able to start using the technology in a practical way.
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NB. The printing team after the successful printing of the prototype. Photo via TU Graz