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Related Concept Videos

Manufacture of Concrete Masonry Units01:27

Manufacture of Concrete Masonry Units

146
The process of manufacturing concrete masonry units begins by mixing stiff concrete composed of Portland cement, aggregates, and water. This mixture is then poured into metal molds. To ensure the concrete settles uniformly and to avoid separation of its components, the mixture in the molds is subjected to vibration. Shortly after, the still-wet blocks are removed from the molds and placed on racks.
These wet blocks are then transported for curing, which can occur in one of two environments: a...
146
Accelerated Curing of Concrete01:25

Accelerated Curing of Concrete

213
Accelerating concrete curing is achieved by applying heat and additional moisture. This process accelerates the hydration of the cement, resulting in an earlier strength gain in the concrete. Steam curing is a method wherein the concrete products are either transported through a chamber on a conveyor belt or encased in plastic, allowing steam at atmospheric pressure to circulate freely around them. This process begins with a phase of moist curing that typically lasts between 3 to 5 hours, after...
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Preplaced Aggregate Concrete01:29

Preplaced Aggregate Concrete

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Preplaced aggregate concrete is ideal for construction environments that are not easily accessible. The process begins by properly wetting the gap-graded coarse aggregates to remove the dirt, then placing it in the form and compacting it. Voids are filled with a mortar mix pumped under pressure through slotted pipes. This mortar typically consists of Portland cement, pozzolan, fine aggregates, water, and a fluidizing aid. The pozzolan helps reduce bleeding and segregation while improving the...
123
Additives and Fillers in Concrete01:29

Additives and Fillers in Concrete

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Additives and fillers are integral to enhancing the properties of concrete. Pozzolans and blast-furnace slag are additives or admixtures due to their reactions with calcium hydroxide released during cement hydration. Fillers, which are finely ground and similar in fineness to Portland cement, improve concrete attributes such as workability density, and reduce capillary bleeding or cracking. Some fillers possess hydraulic properties or participate in benign reactions within the cement paste.
The...
120
Placing Concrete01:17

Placing Concrete

167
The concrete is placed as close as possible to its final position to avoid segregation. The placed concrete is then fully compacted to expel the entrapped air, and the next layer of concrete is laid while the underlying layer is still in the plastic state. The rate at which concrete is placed and compacted is kept equal.
While placing concrete, care is taken to ensure that the concrete is laid in uniform layers, and hand shoveling and moving concrete using poker vibrators is avoided. Also,...
167
Concrete01:20

Concrete

416
Concrete is a vital construction material extensively used worldwide, primarily valued for its strength, durability, and versatility, which it provides for various structural designs. Concrete generally comprises ingredients like Portland cement, coarse gravel, fine sand, and water. Concrete can be mixed by simple hand methods or industrially at computer-controlled plants. The mixture consists of aggregates and a paste made from water and Portland cement. This paste coats the aggregates and,...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 13, 2025

Operation of the Collaborative Composite Manufacturing CCM System
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Design and System Considerations for Construction-Scale Concrete Additive Manufacturing in Remote Environments via

Nicholas A Meisel1, Nathan Watson1, Sven G Bilén1

  • 1School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.

3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing
|January 20, 2023
PubMed
Summary

This study demonstrates large-scale concrete additive manufacturing (AM) using a robotic arm for autonomous construction. The system successfully 3D printed a scale habitat, showcasing potential for rapid habitat creation in challenging environments.

Keywords:
additive constructionconcretematerial extrusionrobotic arm

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Area of Science:

  • Robotics
  • Materials Science
  • Civil Engineering

Background:

  • Additive Manufacturing (AM) offers novel construction solutions, particularly for challenging environments.
  • Autonomous construction, utilizing methods like concrete AM, is crucial for rapid habitat development.
  • Existing robotic platforms face limitations in build volume and continuous material extrusion for large-scale projects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore additive manufacturing (AM) of concrete using a six-axis robotic arm for large-scale, autonomous construction.
  • To develop a system capable of rapid habitat construction in low-resource and emergency situations.
  • To address specific challenges for NASA's "3D Printed Habitat Challenge" using concrete AM.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a six-axis robotic arm for concrete extrusion-based additive manufacturing.
  • Engineered system modifications to increase build volume and enable printing of non-coplanar sections.
  • Integrated features to minimize travel moves and ensure continuous extrusion of cementitious material.
  • Demonstrated the system by printing a one-third scale habitat structure.

Main Results:

  • Successfully 3D printed a one-third scale habitat structure using concrete AM.
  • Achieved the first fully enclosed architectural-scale 3D-printed structure without support.
  • Overcame limitations in build volume, embedding integration, and continuous extrusion for robotic AM.

Conclusions:

  • The developed robotic concrete AM system shows significant potential for autonomous construction in challenging or emergency scenarios.
  • This technology enables the creation of novel geometries and materials in difficult-to-access environments.
  • The successful demonstration advances the feasibility of rapid, large-scale 3D-printed habitats.