BIM, 3D Printing, Structures, and Future
Article: BIM Led 3D
Printing is the Future of Construction
By: Memoori Newsletter
Date: 10/10/16
At the 2016 Milken Global Conference, CEO of Alphabet Eric
Schmidt stated that “construction
represents 5% of the economy, and that entire sector can be made cheaper, more
efficient and superior when it begins to integrate 3D printing,” which can seem
like a surprise to some people. The idea of 3D printing entire buildings could
have seemed like a fantasy a couple of years ago but now can be coming a
reality. 3D printing can cut construction time, is less costly and energy intensive,
and can utilize a variety of materials, including recycled ones, to be used in
the building. In 2016, a Chinese firm named WinSun claimed to
have constructed ten 3D printed houses in just 24 hours. The 3D prtinter was
loaded with a mixture of assorted ground up wastes and mixed with a base of
quick drying concrete and hardening agent. Moving one step further than a
house, WinSun printed a five-story apartment building using a similar method.
Though these feats are impressive, there has been no update to the longevity or
use of the structures. BIM is at the core of 3D printing buildings. Using,
various BIM softwares, like Revit or CAD, engineers can design the buildings
they want and use the programs to help with the construction process. A 3D
printer has the ability to create a complexly shaped structure in a much faster
time than it would take workers, which saves money and time on projects. A big
concern in 3D printed buildings is the structural soundness. Due to the lack of
poured concrete, it can be hard to put rebar or specific columns in the
structure. I do believe that this is entirely possible but it may require more
workers on site to help the project move smoothly. One system could be the
workers lay the rebar in the structure, while the machine goes and prints over
it. There are many possible options and advances that can be made on this
system and think many of them will be made in the future/have been made since
the writing of this article. It is so much more efficient overall to be 3D printing
structures that there will definitely be a reliable and safe system in the
upcoming years.
Comments:
Allison A,
I also did an article on 3D printing and after reading your
write up, it was interesting to see some more details on the process. I didn’t
know the 3D printed material would have movements similar to a fluid because it
is printed out as a solid. I agree that the material can be super useful in the
future due to all of the different applications like acoustics and helping with
insulation like you mentioned.
Thomas S,
I really like the idea of a 3D printed steel bridge. It
seems like something that is so farfetched and out of the question but is
totally doable with modern technology. It is interesting that floating
structures are such a problem for 3D printers but I would assume it is because
of the lack of a solid base. It is also interesting that steel can be used in a
3D printer; I didn’t know that was possible. I’ll have to keep my eye on this
project to see what it looks like when it is finished in June.
Most of the articles I read for this round of posting pertained to A.I., one of which focused on building a sensory database for robots to encounter and understand the world around them. I don’t know too much about the 3D printers used for buildings, but I believe they are typically stationed in one location and set up to print around themselves. I could easily see 3D printers advancing into a mobile system with sensors that allow the system to move around the footprint of the building and print as needed. I also think it will only be a matter of time until we can 3D print all of the materials needed for a complete building - I would not be surprised if eventually we can 3D print the rebar as the machine builds up the concrete.
ReplyDeleteI worked with 3D printers back in high school and it’s difficult for me to imagine that technology having the ability to print a house. I wish I had a better understanding of how the system works and what the printer looks like, because all I see in my head is the little MakerBot in my high school lab. It’ll be interesting to see how time wears on the printed structures and what we can expect for this technology for buildings in the future.
ReplyDeleteYour article would strengthen my belief about the future on Building Information Modeling (BIM) on AEC industry. You already pointed out how BIM would contribute as a central role to future building construction as a data provider for a giant 3-D construction printer. Even though laborers are still required for some complex tasks, it is an expected future to watch our design will be automatically constructed at the most minimum error as data generated from BIM.
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