3D printing is such a futuristic way of producing and
creating some object. It is quick, much more mobile and considered rather
instant. What more it is customizable to your own preference, such an important
aspect in our world today, an individual’s preference to a brand, shape, size
or and even colour. Ever wonder what could 3D printing do for the construction
sector? There is a new discovery of a material and method such as self-healing
bioconcrete, with a 3D concrete printers and a new generation of solar
polymers, construction will be made further convenient if not easier.
The research team in Loughborough University carrying out
this project, being headed by Dr Sungwoo Lim, technologically improved a 3D
printer that is capable to construct physical structures and objects straight
from a given command to a computer. The process being carried out is known as
addictive manufacturing whereby a specific type of concrete was established
particularly for this procedure. This concrete is deposited accurately in
layers under computer control. In the present day, a reinforced concrete bench
that weighs at one tonne and a two-metre curvy panel was printed out.
The benefits to the construction industry with this
innovation would be a decrease in waste materials, emitting lesser CO2 in
comparison to a conventional concrete form building. Not only that, labour
costs would also be further reduced, transportation of components and parts of
a building would be lessen as printing of such materials can be commenced in an
onsite factory.
To solidify this innovative idea, we could relate it back to
pre-historic times where rammed earth was a process for making homes and forts
for castles. Raw materials such as earth, chalk lime and gravel is compressed
in forms of layer and later air dry. It has been a technique practiced to build
mainstay in Africa for millennia.
Aggrebind is a company that cross-linked styrene acrylic
polymer which increases the strength of soils from many variation. It was
experimented with non-toxic treated soils and later grown in it. The results
prove that the polymer was indeed effective with consistent and inconsistent materials
which can be applied to strengthen adobe buildings. Thus this has opened a new
approach to the construction sector, self-healing bio-concrete that can
regenerate over the cracks using condensed bacteria within or mortar-less
‘bio-manufactured’ bricks made out of substance such as bacteria, urea waste or
sand.