3D printing in civil Engineering: how to transform low-cost 3d printers to comply with the demands from civil construction

• Grant number: 14/05136-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2014
• End date: April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Civil Engineering - Construction Industry
• Principal Investigator: Fabiano Rogerio Corrêa
• Grantee: Danilo Takehara Bergamasco
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is a revolution in manufacturing systems; many industries are employing 3d printers to reduce time and cost to produce prototypes, or even parts that other fabrication processes can not produce them. In civil construction in particular, one application of this technology involve research groups around the world competing to be the first ones in printing an habitable structure, thus promoting the technology that will transform the way buildings are constructed. However, this revolution is not restricted to industrial environment. Consumers are having the opportunity to have a small 3D printer, inside your home. This new technology are gaining space inside DIY community allowing people to develop and print they own objects. Starting from an initial project developed by prof. Adrian Bowner, from Bath University, appeared RepRap machines (capable of self-replicating), whose project are open and available in the internet. There are a large variations of the original project, following local disponibility of parts or new layout and funcionalities of parts. As this new technology have an enormous potential for civil construction, and due to the lack of detailed analysis of the mechanical structure, hardware and software of those projects, the objective of this proposal is to analyse a Prusa i3 and elaborate directions for changing those machines to attend the necessities of civil construction, such as a large workspace and using concrete as print material.