CNPlus tells MHProNews that since 2007 this 3D printing technology has been tested by a team of researchers at the school of building and civil engineering at Loughborough University.
A 3D concrete printer is fitted to a gantry and robotic arm. In the near future, Shanska will acquire a license to apply 3D concrete printing technology to real applications that has been researched and developed in tandem with Great Britain’s Loughborough University.
Shanka’s business partners – Foster +Partners, Buchan Concrete, ABB and Lafarge Tarmac – will be involved in the 18 month development process. Their ambition is to develop a 3D printing supply chain through new opportunities created by the technology.
The expectations are high for this cutting edge science. The hope is that the building industry will adapt to such new technology. Dr. Richard Buswell, from the Building Energy Research Group at Loughborough University, said: “The modern construction industry is becoming more and more demanding in terms of design and construction. We have reached a point where new developments in construction manufacturing are required to meet the challenges and our research has sought to respond to that challenge.”
As regular MHProNews readers know, England, Germany, Sweden and other parts of Europe are diving into industrialized and factory-built construction, just as China, Japan, Asian and North American nations have too. ##
(Photo credit: CNPlus)
