Open Access3D Printed Formwork for Concrete: State-of-the-Art, Opportunities, Challenges, and Applications
Author(s) -
Andrei Jipa,
Benjamin Dillenburger
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
3d printing and additive manufacturing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.917
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2329-7670
pISSN - 2329-7662
DOI - 10.1089/3dp.2021.0024
Subject(s) - formwork , 3d printing , context (archaeology) , 3d printed , computer science , architecture , construction engineering , fabrication , architectural engineering , state (computer science) , engineering , civil engineering , mechanical engineering , manufacturing engineering , art , paleontology , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , visual arts , biology , algorithm
Concrete is the most used human-made material in the world, and it is responsible for around 8% of the total greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Hence, efficient concrete construction methods are one of the main foci of research in architecture, civil engineering, and material science. One recent development that promises to achieve this goal is the use of digital fabrication for building components. Most investigations focus on direct extrusion 3D printing with concrete, which has already been covered in several review articles. Conversely, this article reviews a different approach, which focuses on the indirect digital fabrication of concrete through 3D printed formworks. This approach is under investigation for structural and nonstructural, as well as for on- and off-site applications, with a number of projects having already been built, but a comprehensive review of 3D printed formworks has not yet been compiled to synthesize the findings. This article provides a comprehensive map of the state-of-the-art of five different 3D printing technologies used for the fabrication of formworks so far. The aim is to serve as a fundamental reference for future research, provide a basis for consistent language in this field, and support the development of construction standards. The article further discusses the new geometric possibilities with 3D printed formworks and their potential for making concrete construction more sustainable. In addition, the opportunities and challenges of 3D printed formworks are evaluated in the context of other traditional and digital fabrication tools. A synthetic classification in five functional typologies is proposed and illustrated with 30 representative case studies. Finally, the article concludes with a brief reflection on the role of 3D printing in the broader context of formwork innovation and a possible outlook for this technology.