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Building Envelope Prefabricated with 3D Printing Technology

Author

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  • Stelladriana Volpe

    (DICATECH, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Valentino Sangiorgio

    (DICATECH, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
    ICITECH, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología del Hormigón, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
    FEUP, Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal)

  • Andrea Petrella

    (DICATECH, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Armando Coppola

    (Easy House System s.r.l.s, 70125 Bari, Italy)

  • Michele Notarnicola

    (DICATECH, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

  • Francesco Fiorito

    (DICATECH, Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Ambientale, del Territorio, Edile e di Chimica, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy)

Abstract

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the beginning of a profound change for the building sector. In the last decade, the perspective of shapes, materials, and construction techniques is evolving fast due to the additive manufacturing technology. On the other hand, even if the technology is growing fast and several 3D printed buildings are being developed worldwide, the potential of concrete 3D printing in building prefabrication remains unexplored. Consequently, the application of new digital fabrication technologies in the construction industry requires a redesign of the construction process and its components. This paper proposes a novel conception, design, and prototyping of a precast building envelope to be prefabricated with extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (3DCP). The new design and conception aim to fully exploit the potential of 3D printing for prefabricated components, especially in terms of dry assembly, speed of implementation, reusability, recyclability, modularity, versatility, adaptability, and sustainability. Beyond the novel conceptual design of precast elements, the research investigated the 3D printable cementitious material based on a magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC), which was devised and tested to ensure good performances of the proposed component. Finally, a prototype has been realised in scale with additive manufacturing technology in order to verify the printability and to optimize the extruder path. This study leads us to believe that the combined use of prefabricated systems, construction automation, and innovative materials can decisively improve the construction industry’s sustainability in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Stelladriana Volpe & Valentino Sangiorgio & Andrea Petrella & Armando Coppola & Michele Notarnicola & Francesco Fiorito, 2021. "Building Envelope Prefabricated with 3D Printing Technology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:8923-:d:611325
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. David Bienvenido-Huertas & Miguel Oliveira & Carlos Rubio-Bellido & David Marín, 2019. "A Comparative Analysis of the International Regulation of Thermal Properties in Building Envelope," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-30, October.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Finn G. Feldmann, 2022. "Towards Lean Automation in Construction—Exploring Barriers to Implementing Automation in Prefabrication," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-22, October.
    3. Valentino Sangiorgio & Fabio Parisi & Francesco Fieni & Nicola Parisi, 2022. "The New Boundaries of 3D-Printed Clay Bricks Design: Printability of Complex Internal Geometries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-15, January.
    4. Mohd Zairul & Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh, 2023. "Thematic Trends in Industry 4.0 Revolution Potential towards Sustainability in the Construction Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, May.

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