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Giving Shape and Functionality to the Matter: Digital Construction

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3D Printing for Construction with Alternative Materials

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Abstract

A fundamental modification of the construction is occurring with the adoption of processes digitalization. In the construction field, quality is often associated with cost, making the use of advanced materials not competitive with the most basic concrete. On the other hand, as the standard specifications increase with time to sustain safety issues or customer needs, construction has never been more complex. This complexity is nowadays highlighted by the multiplication of the layers, one for each request for thermic or acoustic insulation which makes the concrete part of the total cost less and less significant. In this environment, digital construction should not aim to replace precast elements but rather bring functionality to the matter, such as insulation, leading to a reduction in the trend of the addition of layers and therefore leading to a significant reduction of the cost. Moreover, the decrease in the total amount of material used will have a higher environmental impact than a substitution of concrete for so-called greener products. Currently limited by its cost when compared the traditional construction methods, the improvement of the technology from the robotic to the software will lead to a competitive technology for specific elements such as façade elements or structural columns. As the cost of 3D printed elements is independent of their complexity, as moulds are not required, digital construction allows architects to develop new ideas or to bring back brilliant ideas from past forgotten for economical reasons. To allow this revolution to occur, chemists, architects, engineers, and software developers must work together to overcome the challenges facing digital construction.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Marius Affentranger for communicating the building information and Leon Trousset and Maxime Liard for reviewing and completing this chapter. Many thanks to Mylène Bernard for the design of the acoustic wall, Babylon gates, and Maya shelter.

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  1. Sika Technology AG, Tüffenwies 16, 8048, Zurich, Switzerland

    Didier Lootens

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  1. Didier Lootens
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Correspondence to Didier Lootens .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Bárbara Rangel

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Ana Sofia Guimarães

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Jorge Lino

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianópolis, Brazil

    Leonardo Santana

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Lootens, D. (2023). Giving Shape and Functionality to the Matter: Digital Construction. In: Rangel, B., Guimarães, A.S., Lino, J., Santana, L. (eds) 3D Printing for Construction with Alternative Materials. Digital Innovations in Architecture, Engineering and Construction. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09319-7_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09319-7_2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-09318-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-09319-7

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