Environmental Footprint and Economics of a Full-Scale 3D-Printed House

Abstract

3D printing, is a newly adopted technique in the construction sector with the aim to improve the economics and alleviate environmental impacts. This study assesses the eco-efficiency of 3D printing compared to conventional construction methods in large-scale structural fabrication. A single-storey 3D-printed house was selected in the United Arab Emirates to conduct the comparative assessment against traditional concrete construction. The life cycle assessment (LCA) framework is utilized to quantify the environmental loads of raw materials extraction and manufacturing, as well as energy consumption during construction and operation phases. The economics of the selected structural systems were investigated through life cycle costing analysis (LCCA), that included mainly the construction costs and energy savings. An eco-efficiency analysis was employed to aggregate the results of the LCA and LCCA into a single framework to aid in decision making by selecting the optimum and most eco-efficient alternative. The findings revealed that houses built using additive manufacturing and 3D printed materials were more environmentally favourable. The conventional construction method had higher impacts when compared to the 3D printing method with global warming potential of 1154.20 and 608.55 kg CO2 eq, non-carcinogenic toxicity 675.10 and 11.9 kg 1,4-DCB, and water consumption 233.35 and 183.95 m3, respectively. The 3D printed house was also found to be an economically viable option, with 78% reduction in the overall capital costs when compared to conventional construction methods. The combined environmental and economic results revealed that the overall process of the 3D-printed house had higher eco efficiency compared to concrete-based construction. The main results of the sensitivity analysis revealed that up to 90% of the environmental impacts in 3D printing mortars can be mitigated with decreasing cement ratios.

Impact of 3D Printing on the Overall Project Success of Residential Construction Projects Using Structural Equation Modelling

“…The printing technique will reduce waste, minimising production/environmental construction's effect [71,72] 3DP.PS4 Reduce the usage of formwork [70,73,74] 3DP.PS5 Enable and provide advanced healthcare [75,76] 3DP.PS6 Reduced human impact [38,62] Standardisation 3DP.PD1 Fewer logistical procedures and waste [72,76,77] 3DP.PD2 A shorter supply chain and a faster design cycle [73,74,78] 3DP.PD3 Reduce human mistakes [71,72] 3DP.PD4 Evaluate ideas generated during brainstorming considering the intended outcomes [73,79] Creativity 3DP.PC1 Provide innovative solutions [80,81] 3DP.PC2 Modelling architectural construction [69,81] 3DP.PC3 Permits more geometric flexibility when designing buildings that would not be achievable otherwise [12] 3DP.PC4 Flexible design and brand improvement [70,74] Credibility 3DP.PR1 Increased value in global market [79] 3DP.PR2 Bonding for accuracy and complexity [71][72][73] 3DP.PR3 Supports unusual and green designs [60,61] 3DP.PR4 Integration with other components [75,76] 2.2. Cost, Time, Quality, Safety, Environment Measurements A completed building project is now seen as par for the course.…”

Reinforcements in 3D printing concrete structures

“…In turn, buildability can be defined as the ability of printed filaments to maintain their shape, supporting their own weight and the successive layers deposited on later [32], [33] . These two aspects must be kept in balance, since the more fluid materials will present a better extrusion, but on the contrary, they will lose buildability and vice versa [34]. These two factors, accordingly, depend on workability, a property that the mixture exhibits at the end of preparation and that is described by rheological parameters [32].…”

A DMAIC Framework to Improve Quality and Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing—A Case Study

“…Many companies that are using or providing this emerging technology are not only interested in obtaining economic benefits, but they want to achieve a sustained competitive advantage to stand out in the competitive market, while also addressing environmental and social challenges [3]. However, AM technology is not yet mature, and research and development is still in progress to ensure these objectives are met when implementing AM for various use cases.…”