3D printing with robot A house from the 3D printer

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Additive manufacturing processes using 3D printers have so far mainly been used in industrial production. That the technology can also be of great benefit in the construction industry is demonstrated by a pioneering project by 3D printing pioneer Georgios Staikos: For the first time, a non-residential building has been partially constructed using 3D printing, with the headquarters of the German Red Cross district association Warendorf Beckum e.V. in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany).

A six-axis ABB robot of the type IRB 6700 is used, which applies the building material precisely at the required locations at high speed. As a result, the clients benefit not only from a very fast and efficient construction method but also from a particularly sustainable one.

The German Red Cross (DRK) performs numerous important tasks nationwide that are of high social and societal relevance: These include organizing blood donation campaigns as well as measures for first aid and disaster protection. In addition, the DRK often acts as a sponsor of daycare centers and all-day schools. This is also the case for the DRK district association Warendorf Beckum e.V. in North Rhine-Westphalia. Due to high social commitment and an increasing range of tasks, the association has experienced significant growth in recent years. This led to a higher personnel requirement, causing the previous office building at the town hall in Neubeckum to reach its capacity limits.

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To effectively solve the space problem, the decision-makers planned the construction of a new administrative headquarters. The goal was to more than double the available space for the DRK district association, with its 8,500 members, from 450 to over 1,000 square meters (approx. from 538 sq yd to over 1196 sq yd). The new administrative building was to include modern training rooms as well as 20 offices and the mandatory social and sanitary facilities. It was also important for the new building to be usable by the local community as a meeting center for all generations. For the structural implementation, the existing DRK vehicle hall on the property in Neubeckum was to be supplemented with an additional building.

In close collaboration with a renowned architecture firm, the responsible staff of the district association developed an innovative concept. This concept particularly emphasizes a modern construction method. The new building is intended to serve as an outstanding flagship project as part of the "Digitalization of the Construction Industry and Innovative Building" program funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The goal is to complete the construction project with an investment volume of 3.8 million euros (3.920.840 USD) by the end of 2024.

Innovative, future-oriented, and sustainable construction method was needed

"A thorough analysis and evaluation of our association concluded that the new construction should be as innovative, future-oriented, and climate-friendly as possible. It was important to us that the technologies used in the construction project be consistently developed further in both economic and ecological terms," define Prof. Dr. Karl-Uwe Strothmann and Detlef Weißenborn, President and Board Member of the DRK district association Warendorf Beckum and thus the client, the core requirements for the project.

The ambitious construction concept envisions the use of novel, lightweight, and particularly sustainable materials. These include geopolymer cement, wood-cement stone, foam cement for insulation, and a carbon ceiling. The use of these innovative building materials is intended to help significantly reduce CO₂. To make the building as energy self-sufficient as possible, it will be equipped with photovoltaic systems and energy storage systems.

The most significant innovation in this special construction project, however, is the manner in which the exterior and interior walls are created: large sections of the facade are fabricated using a 3D printing process. The construction of a non-residential building using this method is unprecedented in the history of the German construction industry. Unlike traditional construction methods, the creation of facade elements and interior walls can be largely automated with 3D printing—additionally, the shape and orientation of the walls are highly flexibly definable. A digital model of the components to be manufactured is first created, transferred to the printer, and implemented directly on-site at the construction site.

ABB articulated robot for fast, efficient, and flexible 3D printing

To quickly and efficiently apply the building material to the designated areas of the building, a six-axis articulated robot of the type IRB 6700 from ABB is used. A spray nozzle is mounted on it, which dispenses the building material evenly and at high speed. The robot is installed on a rail and an adjustable platform, allowing larger sections to be printed in a single cycle. In total, 150 square meters (approx. 179 sq yd) of interior walls and 130 square meters (approx. 155 sq yd) of exterior facades were created using 3D printing as part of this construction project. Approximately 90 tons of material were used, with a printing time of about 100 hours. A special feature is that all components can be printed on-site and under changing weather conditions. This allows the construction time to be shortened by a factor of four compared to conventional methods, significantly increasing the efficiency of the entire workflow on the construction site.

The building materials used for 3D printing fully meet the German Red Cross district association's environmental requirements: for example, recycled construction debris and other resource-conserving materials were used. "The new technology undoubtedly poses completely new demands on the traditional building material concrete. Both the construction requirements and sustainability aspects must be met. Of crucial importance in this context is a high level of experience and know-how from the involved companies," note Karl-Uwe Strothmann and Detlef Weißenborn. An innovative formulation from the manufacturer Sika was used in the construction project, possessing all the properties essential for 3D printing. The printed components meet all static requirements, have an appealing appearance, and are optimally suited for creating a pleasant room atmosphere.

Pioneer of building 3D printing on board

The creative mind and father of the groundbreaking construction project is Beckum entrepreneur Georgios Staikos, who is considered a pioneer in 3D printing of buildings. The owner of Staikos 3D GmbH and partner of Innovationszentrum Westfalen GmbH has realized the first 3D-printed non-residential property after Germany's first 3D-printed residential house. "To precisely address our requirements for a sustainable and highly innovative building, we had to enlist the right partners with the necessary expertise. Innovationszentrum Westfalen, Staikos 3D GmbH, and ABB as a supplier of robot technology have proven to be lucky choices for us in this regard. With the construction of our new administrative building, we can combine the latest construction methods like 3D printing with the use of sustainable building materials and maximum efficiency," concludes the client.

Georgios Staikos adds: "For the future, we plan to further advance the 3D printing of buildings by consistently developing the technology and simplifying approval procedures. The ABB robot serves as the optimal platform for our large-format polymer printer, which offers significantly more flexibility in the additive manufacturing of interior walls and facades compared to a fixed portal printer. Together with our strong partner ABB, we are paving the way for fully automated and digitalized processes on the construction site of the future." (st)