Freeform Construction: Mega scale rapid manufacturing construction

July 2008 - September 2011


Project web site:              Official project page


The construction industry still relies on craft based trades and still suffers from poor performance and quality. Labour shortages, environmental legislation and higher performance demands will compound these issues. This project aims to address these problems using the principles of Rapid Manufacture to take construction technology way beyond anything the industry has seen. The step change technology will print full-scale wall and volumetric components, layer by layer, freeing the constraints of straight line form and allowing full systems integration. This process has been termed Freeform Construction. The new system will utilise computer-based 3D solid modelling to drive precise control of construction material deposition in an automated process which will offer numerous benefits over traditional approaches:

  1. •    Increased geometrical freedom

  2. •    Structural optimisation

  3. •    Single material construction

  4. •    Function integration

  5. •    Reduction in assembly complexity


The project focuses on the generation and development of the far reaching concept which will deliver construction processes not yet conceivable to the majority of sector players. Furthermore it will deliver:

  1. •    Full scale demonstration of the Freeform Construction process

  2. •    Construction of full scale multi-resolution structures

  3. •    New construction materials and material concepts

  4. •    Concepts fundamental to future technology development



Publication


Le, T.T., Austin, S.A., Lim, S., Buswell, R.A., Law, R., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “Hardened properties for high-performance printing concrete”, Cement and Concrete Research Journal, Vol 42, Issue 3, pp. 558-566, 2012.


Le, T.T., Austin, S.A., Lim, S., Buswell, R.A., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “Mix design and fresh properties for high-performance printing concrete”, RILEM Materials & Structures Journal. (accepted)


Lim, S., Buswell, R.A., Le, T.T., Austin, S.A., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “Development in construction-scale additive manufacturing processes”, Automation in Construction, Vol. 21, Issue 1, pp. 262-268, 2012.


Lim, S., Buswell, R.A., Le, T.T., Wackrow, R., Austin, S.A., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “Development of a viable Concrete Printing process”, The 28th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC2011), Seoul, South Korea, 29 June – 2 July 2011.


Le, T.T., Austin, S.A., Lim, S., Buswell, R.A., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “High-performance printing concrete for freeform building components”, fib Symposium Prague 2011, Concrete engineering for excellence and efficiency, Prague, Czech Republic, 8-10 June 2011.  


Lim, S., Le, T.T., Webster, J., Buswell, R.A., Austin, S.A., Gibb, A.G.F. and Thorpe, A., “Fabricating construction components using layer manufacturing technology”, Global Innovation in Construction Conference 2009 (GICC’09), Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK, 13-16 September, 2009.



Presentation / Exhibition / Guest Lecturing


  1. •Build Freeform - A Concrete Printing process, The Building Centre, London, 25th August 2011 ~ 8th September 2011.

       (Introduction slides, Appendix slides, Photos of Event & Exhibition)

  1. •Guest lecturing, Yonsei University, South Korea, 14th July 2011.

  2. •Invited seminar, Hyundai E&C, South Korea, 28th June 2011.

  3. •Innovate_Integrate, Center for Architecture, New York, 6th October 2010 ~ 15th January 2011.

  4. •International exhibition - Fabrication Laboratory, DHUB, Barcelona, 16th June 2010 ~ 29th May 2011.

  5. •PR video clip production.

  6. •Exhibition in Concrete2010 Conference, Athena Conference Centre, Leicester, 11th May 2010.

  7. •Guest lecturing, Brunel University, 4th March 2010.

  8. •Presentation, Science & Enterprise Park developers, 16th December 2009.

  9. •Guest lecturing, Loughborough University, 14th December 2009.

  10. •Presentation, IMCRC Networking Event, 26th November 2009.

  11. •“Freeform Construction PR Slides”, June 2009.

  12. •Guest lecturing, KAIST, South Korea, 17th March 2009.

  13. •Guest lecturing, Loughborough University, 19th February 2009.

  14. •Presentation, BuildOffSite, 29th October 2008.