US Marine Corp Engineers in collaboration with the US Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) released a report back in 2019 where the progress of the first ever to be created a 3D printer for concrete. The 3D printer can print concrete barracks, bridges, and bunkers.
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US Marine Corp Engineers Pushing Forward the 3D Concrete Printing
With the first use of the 3D printer for concrete, the US Marine Corp Engineers managed to use 3D printing techniques for multiple projects. The technique involved a continuous mixer with a 2-inch pump and hose. The team is now pushing the technology forward. This time, the specialized team is using the same continuous mixer, but with a different hose and nozzle of 3 inches. Larger concrete projects can be done with this technique with the use of a 4-inch nozzle. The US Marine Corp team of engineers believe that larger projects could be completed with the 3D printing technique that way in the future. By using larger nozzles, the orienting time becomes significantly faster. That means that the construction project can be done in less time and with less waste, making the solution both cost-effective and time-efficient.
Speed and Reduced Waste with 3D Concrete Printing
Marines are looking forward to the day when it would be possible to produce small durable combat structures at a faster pace. These structures could be quickly printed with a 3D printer with increased capacity. Transportation would require less manpower as well as production, while there would be less material needed for construction as well. Decreasing waste, increasing quality, speeding up the process of construction and lowering costs altogether, make some of the top advantages of 3D printing that the US Marines team of engineers came up with. In the future, 3D printing could be used in civil construction as well.
