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Technical WorkChallenges and opportunities of 3D printing in construction: An insight with Michael from Constructions-3D
Innovation in the construction industry takes on a new dimension with the advent of 3D printing, a burgeoning sector represented by Constructions-3D.
Published on 27 March 2024, 4 min to read
Written by Jessica Maciejewski
Michael Deleplanque, Production Manager and Site Supervisor at Constructions-3D, shares his experience on the challenges and advantages of this revolutionary technology.
The flexibility of construction sites with the MaxiPrinter
One of the major advantages of the MaxiPrinter, as explained by Mickael, lies in its ability to not be limited horizontally, unlike traditional systems. "We can move the machine as printing progresses and use multiple machines simultaneously operated by a single team," he emphasizes. This flexibility opens up new horizons in terms of design and efficiency on construction sites. An operator on the site can also attend to a task while the machine continues to work.
As with a conventional construction site, we must anticipate our needs and place orders with our suppliers. However, unlike concrete walls made with traditional formwork, our advantage lies in the flexibility of working hours. We can start and finish a workday according to our needs. This allows us to avoid daily concrete deliveries by truck mixer, with the uncertainties that can entail. Additionally, by eliminating the use of formwork or integrating the frameworks directly, we save time and reduce waste generated by the construction work on the site.
In a traditional concrete construction, it's common for between 500 liters and 1 cubic meter of concrete to be discarded daily. This is a normal practice, as a site manager typically orders slightly more concrete than necessary to ensure complete coverage of the day's works. However, in addition to this, a significant amount of waste, such as wood and plastic, is also produced. On large construction sites, this can amount to up to 6 cubic meters of waste per week. 3D printing allows us to significantly reduce our volume of waste.
The Incubator Project: An Innovative Approach
The project of the incubator at the Citadel of Expertise is a perfect illustration of the application of this technology. Constructions-3D aims to bring together innovative ideas and provide technical and commercial support to startups, leveraging the design freedom offered by 3D printing. "The goal is to reduce environmental impact while optimizing the use of materials," explains Mickael.
Mickael gives an impressive overview of the Tower, an achievement made possible through 3D printing. With a height of 14.14 meters and a total printing time of 225 hours, this project represents a major breakthrough in the field. "We used 79 cubic meters of materials for 3D printing," he adds, highlighting the scale of the project.
Future Challenges and Innovations
The next challenge for Constructions-3D is the optimization of raw materials through 3D printing. "Our 3D printing material is designed from local resources, significantly reducing its carbon footprint," states Mickael. The company is constantly seeking to improve its machines and processes to push the boundaries of innovation in the sector. That's why Termix-3D was born, a company developing a concrete 3D printing material with a reduced carbon footprint.
Termix-3D: A New Eco-Friendly Player and Job Creator
After the development of our concrete 3D printers, slicing software, and a new formulation of ink specifically tailored to our machine specifications, combined with our desire for a low carbon footprint, we have developed our next-generation printable micro-concrete factory, Termix-3D. This naturally aligns with the development of our game-changing activity, innovators in concrete 3D printing.
The first thousands of tons of micro-concrete produced by Termix-3D will be dedicated to printing the Citadel of Expertise, our scientific discovery park and headquarters, serving as both an open-air demonstrator, an incubator for 3D printing startups, and an international showcase of our expertise.
Benefits of Concrete 3D Printing
Concrete 3D printing enables the creation of complex shapes at costs comparable to those of conventional structures. The simultaneous use of multiple MaxiPrinters can significantly accelerate projects. Moreover, this technology reduces labor intensity and risks on construction sites. For the incubator project, constructing curved walls using traditional methods requires complex equipment and a considerable amount of resources, which takes time to set up. Our solution becomes operational only two hours after the container arrives at the site, and in just 30 minutes when we are already set up on-site.
Certainly, the MaxiPrinter excels in this type of construction, but it is also efficient for more conventional structures, such as a house or a cuboid building. Traditional formwork is optimized for this type of construction; however, we offer a construction method that directly integrates high-performance insulation into the printing process. Thus, we accomplish both the structural work and insulation simultaneously, allowing us to achieve high production yields overall.
Impact of 3D Printing on the Work Process
3D printing fundamentally changes the approach to construction. "We need to have a 3D vision of the structures, integrating elements such as electrical and water networks during printing," says Mickael.
Labor Needs and Skills
The use of the MaxiPrinter requires a team of three people, which represents an ideal ratio between human resources and the machine's production capacity. This team consists of a printing operator responsible for creating the files for the construction. They are the machine pilot and monitor machine parameters during printing. Then, we have a highly skilled construction worker who brings their field experience to set up and organize the machine and its accessories, as well as their knowledge for understanding structural plans and reinforcement. Finally, a third person, an assistant, assists in all operations.
The advantage of modernizing the mason / formwork trade lies primarily in reducing the labor intensity of the work and in the ability to address the labor shortage we encounter in the construction sector.
