A Concrete 3D Printed Architectural Marvel

In 2018 the Huizenprinters consortium, with Vertico as a key participant, set out to 3D print an architectural pavilion. The result was a fully 3D printed concrete shell structure, built without rebar or custom formwork, and a new benchmark in concrete additive manufacturing.

An ambitious start

The team started with only a basic understanding of robotics and of the complexities of developing suitable concrete mixtures. The challenges were large.

Despite these hurdles, the team kept going and printed the complete shell. The project tested the limits of the technology available at the time.

Structural features

The structure was completed without the usual support of rebar or custom formwork. That points to more sustainable building practices for future construction.

The pavilion is the product of close collaboration and technical skill within the consortium. It was a significant step in bringing 3D printing into mainstream architecture. More on that shift is in our article on large-scale 3D printing in construction.

Development and testing

Several years of developing the technology and updating the design and fabrication strategies followed. Many iterations of machines and software led to a process that strongly accelerates the hardening of concrete.

An accelerant is added at the printhead, so the mixture sets within minutes. This is the principle behind our Accelerator Printhead, and it makes highly complex designs printable.

Printing the roof proved to be the biggest challenge. The breakthrough came when the entire structure was divided into 8 segments. Read the short update in our news post on the HPA Pavilion.

Credits

• Consortium: Huizenprinters
• Participant and 3D printing: Vertico