Table of Contents

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………… 1

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………… 2-7

Body ……………………………………………………………………………………… 8 - 13

 Types of 3D printing Technologies ……………………………………………… 9 – 11

 Advantages of 3D Printing in Construction Industry …………………………… 11 - 12

 Disadvantages of 3D Printing in Construction Industry ……………………….. 12 - 13

 Future of 3D Printing in Construction Industry ……………………………. 13

Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………….. 14

References ……………………………………………………………………………….. 15 - 17
 Executive Summary

Like many other innovations, 3D-Printing is now taking over the globe and slowly being

adopted by countless nations. It possesses various advantages that lead to convenience and

functionalities. In fact, some companies claim that 3D printers can generate prototypes five times

faster and ten times more inexpensively than conventional techniques. In addition to being

popularized as a game changer in terms of its benefits and use, there is also a great probability

that it will also take over the construction industry.

3D Printing in the construction industry would give advantages to the contractors as they

can manage simultaneous projects considering the speed of manufacturing facilities. In actuality,

some studies found that utilizing 3D Printing using additive manufacturing methods in the

construction industry would save 60% of the time and 80% of the labor compared to the

traditional construction method. And one of the features of 3D Printing is that it can manage to

provide complicated designs, shapes, and labor-intensive infrastructures.

Given the convenience it carries, 3D-printing is far from being flawless. In the

meantime, there are still numerous studies concerning the use of 3D printing to significantly

more industries and that includes the study about vitalizing the filament used in the process and

the reducing of the manufacturing time with regards to much bigger materials. Nonetheless, with

the help of 3D-printing, materials needed for a specific use or for a personalized project have

been made possible with little effort and with great efficiency.
 Introduction

In this modern era where 3D printing is still growing and developing while taking over

the world, it might be hard to believe that it has been around since the 1980's. At the time that it

was just starting to get known it was called as ‘additive manufacturing’ considering that it is a

process where a material such as plastics, rubbers, metals, foods, and even human cells are used

to create a three dimensional objects by adding one tiny layer at a time without using much

physical and financial effort, duration of the process is also not a problem here. In a computer, a

file containing a model in three dimensions will be transferred to a 3D printing machine where

three types are known, the Stereolithographic printers, Selective Laser Sintering printers, and the

most common, the Fused Deposition Modeling printers.

Various processes, including subtractive manufacturing, shaping, and molding of

prototypes, were employed in the early stages of material fabrication. Eventually, the art of

creating products developed into the practice of mass producing them, and different industries

adapted these processes based on the raw materials and final result. The new process for

producing goods from materials like plastic, sand, and other powdered materials is called

additive manufacturing. Since the middle of the 1960s, additive manufacturing has been in use,

and there have been several advancements made in the materials utilized in the process. The

practice of additive manufacturing, sometimes referred to as 3D printing today, has shown to be

highly effective in lowering production costs and eliminating waste.

Intricate geometric shapes and a variety of structures can be produced without the use of

tools, dies, or fittings by stacking and combining materials in additive manufacturing, often

known as 3D printing. 3D printing has a promising future in the construction sector because of
its potential for automation, the replacement of formwork, the decrease of construction waste,

and the improvement in geometric correctness. The focus of current research is on the flexibility

of processes and material properties. The technological framework primarily consists of the

printing supplies and methods that are necessary for creating this breakthrough technology.

However, as our knowledge of the technology has increased, a variety of financial and

environmental problems have emerged.

The first industrial 3D printer was created in 1986 by American scientist Charles Hull,

who is regarded as the founder of 3D printing. When Pegna suggested combining 3D printing

with cement-based materials in the late 1990s, the building industry began to test the use of this

technology. The current 3D printing research focuses on advanced materials (like cementitious

materials, polymer materials, and metal materials), processes (like contour crafting, D-shape, and

concrete printing), and implementation methods (like off-site/on-site fabrication, hybrid

techniques, and multiple materials), which enable its use in the construction industry.

Applications in construction include new shapes, topological optimization, specialized pieces,

and in-situ maintenance.

Dr. Hideo Kadoma received the first 3D printing achievements for his 1981 invention of

a rapid prototyping method. Rapid prototyping is a method that Dr. Kadoma created for printing

solid layers of quickly drying photopolymers that approximate a cross-sectional slice of a CAD

model. Three years later, Charles Hull was granted a patent for a method of stereolithography

called the interaction of a liquid photopolymer with an ultraviolet (UV) laser beam. Each layer

will quickly transform into a solid plastic shape that is congruent with the 3D CAD model when

the liquid photopolymer is exposed to UV light. The earliest rapid prototyping method was

stereolithography, which refers to the quick, accurate, and reproducible manufacture of goods,
typically with computer supervision. The SLA-1, the first commercial stereolithography

apparatus (SLA) ever made, was created by Hull's company, 3D Systems, in 1992.

Carl Deckard received a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) patent in 1989 from the

University of Texas. SLS was developed in the 1990s and into the early 2000s with a

concentration on commercial applications like casting. For these applications, a new vocabulary

known as Casting and Rapid Manufacturing was developed. In 2005, the phrase was updated to

accommodate all additive manufacturing techniques.

The 3DP technique is based on additive manufacturing. Through a method called

computer-aided drafting (CAD), a 3D model is produced. The model is then sent as standard

stereolithography language (STL) data to the 3D printer, where it is divided into layers that may

be applied sequentially. Where the printer head inserts an activation agent and premixes it with a

power element, each layer is created. The 3D object is created by successively bonding the layers

together. The first industrial 3D printer went on sale in 2009. A competitively priced alternative

3D printer was launched to the market in 2012.

In 1981, ‘XYZ plotter’ the earliest 3D printing equipment was developed by Hideo

Kodama of the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research and it did not work yet on top of this, it

opened new ideas and various patents which built the foundation in the 3D printing industry of

today. The growing field of additive manufacturing gives so many advantages not just in

providing quality products to the people of the world. Still, it is also effective in other industries

like health and construction. It has only been almost three years, since September 17th, 2020

since one of the first-ever 3D printed houses was built in Germany where other companies

followed to make their projects. Some of these are the first owner-occupied 3D printed houses in

the United States year 2021 and the first five-story 3D printed house in China. It also gives hope
and a new beginning to people who have lost a body part from a severe accident or people who

have had no arms or legs since their birth by using 3D-printed prosthetic implants. Besides this,

additive manufacturing of cells is still on thorough research and study and Harvard University is

on the run.

Although additive manufacturing, often known as 3D printing, was first invented in the

1980s, its application has grown significantly in the last five years. It has affected a wide range

of industries and applications in ways that were previously thought to be either too expensive or

impractical to implement using conventional production techniques. Rapid prototyping, creating

unique things, and reducing labor costs are all common uses for 3D printing. These goals are also

shared by 3D printing of building structures, which has the potential to reduce the number of

materials that must be transported to the construction site, create distinctive formations, lower

the need for laborers, and give the ability to print the buildings in a short period of time.

Technology for 3D printing is currently available in the Philippines and is constantly

developing. From its early use in prototyping to manufacturing in a variety of industries, 3D

printing has made rapid advancements. The majority of 3D printing applications are in the field

of prototypes, despite the fact that the technology is still in its infancy in the Philippines. High

costs, constrained build sizes, a lack of skilled labor, a lack of regulations, and potential security

concerns, according to Co & Culaba (2019), restrict the widespread adoption of 3D printing in

our local economy. As a result of examples of 3D printing technology used in our nation, such as

in the medical and construction areas, more people are becoming aware of its potential and

applications. In order to 3D print an entire hotel suite with a jacuzzi, the Lewis Grand Hotel in

the Philippines worked with Andrey Rudenko, a machine learning expert and AI engineer from

Minnesota, USA. Dr. Gary Yu used 3D printing technology to successfully perform spine
surgery on a patient in 2016 at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines. The

first 3-D printed prosthesis was tested in the Philippines the same year by the Japan International

Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the neighborhood clinic Orthopedic Frey Prosthesis Center. If

provided access to affordable prostheses, hundreds of thousands of disabled Filipinos who are

unable to work could be included in the labor force.

Due to the 3D printing technology’s desirable impact and adaptability in the country’s

manufacturing industry, services of additive manufacturing gradually emerged across the

country. 3D2Go is one of the pioneering companies in 3D printing in the Philippines. It was

established in 2013 and started its operation in 2014. Various services were offered by the

company from printing, and scanning, to modeling. Frederick Chua founded the company to

provide top-quality 3D scanning, designing, prototyping, and printing services to businesses and

consumers. Their operation functioned and ranged from architectural and engineering cases

(detailed 3D models and designs of buildings, structures, or products), DIY projects, automotive,

manufacturing, medical, and restoration. Their finished 3D outputs were accomplished with the

assistance of quality equipment that they have been using in their workflows such as the 3D

Scanner, SLA Printer, Fused Deposition Modeling Machine (FDM), Flashforge Creator Pro II,

and Snapmaker Original.

In 2019, Two 3D printing research facilities have been established in the Philippines by

the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as part of an aggressive campaign to support

the development of an additive manufacturing sector in the country. One is the Additive

Manufacturing Research Laboratory (AMREL) at the Bataan Peninsula State University and the

other is the Additive Manufacturing Center (AMCen) at the Metals Industry Research and
Development Center in Bicutan, Taguig City. The DOST intends that the aerospace, defense,

biomedical, healthcare, and automotive sectors in the Philippines will grow as a result of 3D

printing. To fully utilize the advantages and possibilities of the technology, they aim to integrate

it for the largest possible implementation. Different industries will be driven to adopt the

technology because of its intrinsic qualities, such as speed in manufacturing and little to no waste

material.

The implementation of additive manufacturing technology in the Philippines is still in its

initial stages. However, these technological examples in our country will force 3D printing

technology into the mainstream. Despite receiving a great deal of attention, there have been

limited attempts to use 3D printing in construction in our country. Moreover, for the technology

to be used to its full potential, innovations and improvements concerning the particular

applications must arise and develop.

The term “3D printing” refers to a variety of technologies and processes that, when

combined, provide a wide range of capabilities for producing components from a variety of

materials. The additive layer-by-layer production process, which does not require subtractive

methodology, molding, or casting, is the key similarity between 3D printing types. 3D printing is

commonly associated with the Do It Yourself (DIY) culture, but it has expanded to include

commercial and industrial applications. Engineers, for example, frequently use 3D printers today

for prototyping and creating lightweight geometric objects. Stereolithography (SLA), Selective

Laser Sintering (SLS), Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Digital Light Process (DLP), Multi

Jet Fusion (MJF), PolyJet, Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), and Electron Beam Melting

(EBM) are examples of the various types of 3D printing.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF), sometimes referred to as fused deposition modeling, is

the most affordable method (FDM). Pushing via a heated nozzle is a thermoplastic substance. All

FFF machines have a few traits despite the fact that there are numerous machines with varied

designs. For three-dimensional printing, each FFF 3D printer has an X, Y, and Z axis. While

paper flows in both directions, a home office printer only moves in one. A Hotend, or a part that

increases plastic from room temperature to a hot, continuous temperature, is a standard

component of all FFF machines. The chosen material becomes useful after being heated by a tiny

engine and then pushed into the extruder nozzle. The "Filament" used in 3D printers, such as

plastic and other composite materials, is continuously supplied through an extruder that rotates at

a constant speed around the X and Y axes. This enables the 3D printer to accurately duplicate the

design you've chosen, layer by layer.

dependent on what instructions your software sends it. 3D Printing is considered an additive

manufacturing process, as you start with nothing and continue to add material until you have the

desired part.

The amount of time it takes to print a 3D object is determined by the type of printing, the

output size, the material used, the desired quality, and the setup configuration. 3D printing can

take from a few minutes to several days. Nowadays, businesses and companies all over the world

use 3D printers to quickly produce prototypes instead of wasting months of time and money on

research and development. In fact, according to some companies, 3D printers can produce

prototypes five times more cheaply and 10 times faster than traditional methods.

Several 3D printing methods have been used by researchers and research organizations

over the years. Some technologies are better suited to the various weather conditions found in

various regions.

Types of 3D Printing Technologies

 Stereolithography - In 1986, 3D Systems Inc. co-founder Charles Hull received a patent

for using stereolithography as a rapid prototyping technique. An ultraviolet (UV) laser, a

perforated platform that is lowered into the tank, a computer that controls the laser

platform, and a tank that may be filled with liquid plastic (photopolymer) make up a

stereolithography system.

 Digital Light Processing (DLP) - In 1987, Texas Instruments' Larry Hornbeck created

Digital Light Processing (DLP). The first 3D printed solid model was produced in 1981

by Hideo Kodama of the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute using

photopolymer technology. Digital Micromirror Device, a semiconductor chip used in

corresponds to a display pixel.

 Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) - was created in the 1980s by Scott Crump, co-

founder and chairperson of Stratasys Ltd. MakerBot (now acquired by Stratasys) created

a comparable method of 3D printing called Fused Filament Fabrication based on this

technology. The 3D model file is loaded into the 3D printer, which builds the item with

plastic threads. The filaments are melted and printed in layers on top of each other by the

printer's nozzle. When the plastic is placed on the construction platform, it hardens

quickly. When the plastic cools, the layers bond together, resulting in a solid form. The

computer controls the nozzle, which travels in the X, Y, and Z axes to print the item

along the printing route defined by the 13 computers. This procedure was continued until

the item was printed.

 Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Melting (SLM) - Carl Deckard and Joe Beaman

invented and patented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) in the 1980s. The laser was used to

bind powder materials, most often polymers such as nylon, which were scattered in thin

layers on the build platform in this additive manufacturing approach.

 Electronic Beam Melting (EBM) - Electron Beam Melting (EBM) is a technology

comparable to Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and Selective Laser Melting (SLM) in that

it employs powder from the build platform of a 3D printer. A high intensity electron

beam is employed to harden the metal of this kind. The hardened layers are piled on top

of each other until the product is formed.

 Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM) - Helisys Inc invented Laminated Object

Manufacturing (LOM) in the 1980s. Using heat and pressure, layers of plastic or paper
 are bonded together and then cut into desired forms with a computer-controlled laser or

blade. The process is one of the quickest and least expensive ways to manufacture 3D

models.

Advantages of 3D Printing in Construction Industry

Unlike traditional construction procedures, which can take months or years to

complete, additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing, can build infrastructure in days or weeks.

Some 3D printers are capable of producing 55–75 sq. m of concrete in a day. In keeping with

that, 3D printers are advantageous for contractors as they can manage several projects

simultaneously due to the speed of manufacturing facilities. A study by Vonk, M., found that

employing this additive manufacturing method helps construction organizations save 60% of the

time and 80% of the labor compared to using the conventional manufacturing method.

According to Slowey, K., the yearly production of building waste could double

from its current level of about 1 billion tons by 2025. Pollution is also a result of the construction

sector. One of the technologies that will help to lessen building waste is 3D printing. In the

construction process, just the exact quantity and necessary materials are used. The materials used

can be recycled. Furthermore, 3D printers can run on hydro, wind, and solar energy, which emits

very little toxic gas.

One of the features that highlights 3D printing is that it can produce complicated

designs, shapes, and labor-intensive infrastructure. It gives architects more freedom to express

themselves creatively. Building costly geometric patterns can be simple when using additive

manufacturing technology. When contractors and architects use 3D printers during the
construction process, they may produce more innovations without slowing the pace of

infrastructure development.

One of the challenges in conventional construction is the rise of fatalities on site

because of heavy machinery and dangerous operations. On the other hand, additive

manufacturing machines or 3D printers can do the most hazardous tasks in the field and

automate construction. In line with that, on-site workers can be eliminated from dangerous

locations and operations. That results in reducing accidents and fatalities on construction sites.

Disadvantages of 3D Printing in Construction Industry

In contrast to traditional construction methods, 3D printing requires particular materials.

The lack of readily available operating materials for the machines is one of the disadvantages of

3D printing in construction. For the equipment to function well, it should meet specific

requirements. As a result, businesses must import materials from other countries, which can be

expensive when materials are not readily available locally. Companies must invest more upfront

due to the high initial cost of the machine.

One of the challenges in printing infrastructure with 3D technology is the long-term

structural integrity of buildings. Environmental conditions such as extreme UV exposure, high

winds, storms, and flooding can cause construction to decay over time. Unlike traditional

concrete manufacturers, 3D-printed concrete necessitates frequent maintenance and studies to

ensure the infrastructure's durability.

Building codes and regulations are important considerations in the construction industry

for safety reasons. However, there are currently no clear regulations governing the use of 3D

printing in construction. As a result, it is one of the 3D printing challenges. There is still

the experimental stage, with more studies and regulations in place to ensure infrastructure safety.

Future of 3D Printing in Construction Industry

In the past years, traditional construction struggled in productivity and innovation when

building infrastructures. Given that one of the specialties of additive manufacturing is its speed

in manufacturing infrastructure, what does it hold in the future of the construction industry?

According to a report, 3D printing will eventually be a common and standard feature in the

fabrication process. But there are still a lot of studies and investigations for refining 3D printing

in the construction industries. Is additive manufacturing technology ready to open in the market?

Do companies have the ability to adapt to it? Can the construction industry embrace and hold the

changes of this new technology? These are the things we need to consider before we let the

advancement completely remodel the traditional construction in the industry.

To conclude, 3D printing of full-scale construction components is a new technology that

is getting momentum as an alternative construction method. According to projections, the 3D

printing sector is growing. The applications of 3D printing are expanding as more research is

undertaken. The field is undeniably a game changer, with several potential players to keep an eye

on. Despite the fact that 3D printing technology is still in its early stages and has numerous

drawbacks, there are high aspirations and dreams for the future of 3D printed buildings and

construction materials. New filament materials with the ability to ensure varied qualities such as

transparency, thermal insulation, or strength, as well as numerous usage of 3D printers, are

presently being developed. It is impossible to imagine traditional structures being replaced by 3D

printing over the next several years. Both technologies are more likely to exist in the market, and

3D printing will be developed using more traditional ways to support them, particularly in the

case of more complicated building projects.

Although 3D printing has numerous benefits, such as the ability to create complicated

designs in less time and with less material, it may not be essential to totally replace traditional

techniques. The future of the building is most likely an integrated process that allows businesses

to use both traditional and 3D printing technologies simultaneously.

3D printing is positioned to transition from an emerging technology into a truly

transformative one. The ability to locally print practically any designable object would have far-

reaching implications for our society. While forecasting the future is challenging, preparation

and early planning are essential to prepare for the breakthrough advances of 3D printing.
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