HORIZON 2020 - Building on a 3D solution for resource-efficient construction

We know that 3D printing is set to revolutionise manufacturing. But construction? EU-funded researchers are putting the building blocks in place with 3D printing technology enabling the construction sector to manufacture concrete building materials in a more efficient and cost effective manner. The technology is being combined with more traditional techniques to offer an all-in-one solution.

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Innovation Advanced manufacturing & processing Denmark France Germany Greece Romania Spain

date: 08/05/2017

Project: Hybrid INDustrial CONstruction through a...

acronym: HINDCON

See also: Project details

The HINDCON project aims to build on the huge cost-saving potential that ‘additive manufacturing’ (AM) or 3D printing could have on the construction industry. The technique works by adding material layer by layer, to create bespoke concrete products.

“Huge efficiencies can be achieved because only the exact quantity of material needed is used,” explains HINDCON project coordinator Jorge Rodríguez of Vías y Construcciones in Vias, Spain. “It also gives the sector much greater flexibility in terms of what can be produced. It is too early to talk about results at this stage, but I can tell you that our aim is to achieve a 28 % reduction in manufacturing time compared with previous 3D printing techniques and a 60 % time reduction compared with traditional methods,” he says.