3D concrete printing market student name- Ajay kahandal

3D concrete printing is an innovative construction method that can be used to fabricate building

components such as roofs, floors, staircase and so on. The construction of walls dominates the market.

The 3D concrete printing market is expected to grow over the CAGR of around 13% during the period
2016 to 2022. The key drivers for the growth in the market are the increasing popularity of
green construction, time pressures on construction and the increasing cost effectiveness of
the technology as well as the growth of the construction and infrastructure sector as a whole, and
increases in the disposable income of individuals. However, high capital investment requirements may
hamper the growth of the market.

Some of the technology barriers lies in the material itself which needs to set and cure rapidly before
adding one layer onto another.

Then comes the look and feel of the finished product. If it looks like a ball of twine rolled up it creates a
perception that the finished structure is structurally unsound. Another factor is future maintenance of the
finished product. Their is nothing more simple than maintaining a wall with a smooth finish.

The Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing market by value.

The key players in the market are:

 Sika
 CRH Plc.
 Balfour Beatty
 Kier Group Plc.
 LafargeHolcim
 Heidelberg Cement AG
 Fillcrete

In Africa the key player in this market is Fillcrete with its low-cost green lightweight cellular
concrete construction method using standard formwork and innovative material that sets quicker and cure
faster than standard concrete. It simply fills the formwork with the Fillcrete material which ends up looking
liking a standard concrete wall but much lighter in weight, and with added advantages of being greener,
with better accoustic and thermal performance if compared to ordinary concrete (which lowers the
demand and costs for heating, cooling and additional insulation materials).

The market can be categorised by concrete type:

 Ready mix concrete
 Precast concrete
 Shotcrete
 High-density concrete
 Cellular concrete

By application:

 Residential
 Industrial
 Agricultural
 Others

By end-use

 Walls
 Roof
 Floor
 Staircase
 Others
3D printing construction

3D printing is a manufacturing process that creates physical objects based on digital designs. This is
achieved with the help of an additive process, where an object is created by a machine that prints
various layers of material until the object is completed.

3D printing in construction is also referred to as 'building printing' or 'contour crafting'.

3D printing in the construction industry may help tackle the housing crisis as it can allow 3D printing offers
lower labour costs and construction can be completed more quickly. In addition, 3D printing produces
little waste and the various wasted raw materials from printing that include failed prints
and concrete waste can be recycled. It also helps simplify construction models and plans - the reason
being the shapes and structures desired by designers can be printed with high precision.new structures to
be created quickly.

Key players operating in the global 3D printing in construction market includes Zhuoda Group, WASP,
Urban3D Company, Cazza Construction Company, Apis Cor, WinSun, Belatchew Arkitekter,
DUS Architects, Skanska, Fosters+Partners, Lafarge, Carilliom Plc., Balfour Beatty and Sika, among
others.

In September 2018, Italy-based WASP unveiled “the infinity 3D printer”, a construction system that is
mainly used to print sustainable houses. It is designed to fast-track the development of the
technological village of Shamballa. This is basically a WASP project that aims to develop various 3D-
printed, environment-friendly houses. WASP also developed the world’s largest 3D printers that
can build homes from locally-sourced materials by using wind, solar or hydro power. This in turn
enables regions that do not have access to electricity to 3D print eco-friendly structures sourced through
local resources.

Urban3D Company was founded to respond to the housing crisis in Brazil. The company is currently

(2019) testing various prototypes and aims to provide various solutions to the development of Brazilian
shantytowns.

Apis Cor, based in Russia, is also adopting 3D-printing technology and is the first company to develop
specialised equipment for 3D printing in construction .This equipment aims to print
whole buildings on site.

Companies are also focusing on special robots that are used for 3D printing. For example, Cazza, based
in the US, built the Cazza X1, concrete house 3D printer that was mainly designed for disaster
prone areas. These structures can withstand severe tornados, earthquakes, and others, so that people in
vulnerable areas can be provided with immediate housing facilities.

3D-printed technology is also used to explore space. NASA's 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge aims to

examine various technologies to build homes in space, such as on Mars or on the Moon.

3D-printing techniques also find applications in aerospace, defense, automobile, health, and mechanical
applications among others, with printing materials specified as required. Advanced materials combined
with cutting-edging printing technology and various advanced computer algorithms have made
3D technology very affordable; this in turn is expected to drive the demand for this market.

3D Printing in construction is mainly driven by the need for sustainable, new, smart housing and eco-
friendly solutions. The affordability and speed of buildings are other factors driving the Asia-Pacific
market. Rising demand for commercial buildings is also expected to drive the market. Asia-Pacific
accounts for the largest revenue share in the global market. Growth in the Asia-Pacific region is mainly
attributed to the increasing usage of 3D-printing in China. Rapid industrialisation, high population
and urbanisation followed by a growth in concern for environmental pollution and human health is
expected to boost the market demand for 3D printing in the Asia-Pacific construction sector.