An additive manufacturing-oriented design approach for digital construction

Purpose The additive manufacturing of concrete (AMoC) is a promising technology, but the parts are primarily designed without considering manufacturing constraints (e.g. minimum overhanging angle) and material behavior. This paper aims to propose an integrated workflow that includes a surface-based slicing method for AMoC while following the design for additive manufacturing of concrete (DfAMoC) guidelines. Design/methodology/approach The surface models of parts are generated based on DfAMoC guidelines. Three types of geometries are selected: planar surface, non-planar and geometries with features such as embossing or debossing. The surface models are optimized and further processed to generate the custom G-code required for AMoC. This integrated approach enables the seamless manufacturing of concrete parts via an extrusion-type gantry 3D printer, which was validated by considering different planner and non-planner designs. Findings A new DfAMoC has been proposed to provide designers a structured framework to fully exploit the AMoC potential while considering specific limitations. The proposed method demonstrated the potential to build concrete structures with better print quality (continuous print path, uniform material deposition, stable and modular printing of self-supporting features) compared to the results using commercial fused deposition modeling-based slicing methods. The varieties of printed structures considered in this study not only exhibited strong and consistent interlayer bond strength but also possessed higher dimensional accuracy, underscoring the reliability of the proposed method. Originality/value The study proposed a streamlined workflow for AMoC that encompasses the complete process, from creating a surface model of the part to slicing and G-code generation. The preference for the surface model over the existing solid model approach yields positive outcomes, demonstrating the manufactured part’s excellent print quality without any visible defects. The workflow is implemented using 3D printing experiments and is practicable in AMoC.