The burgeoning field of additive manufacturing in concrete is set to revolutionize the construction industry, potentially altering how buildings and infrastructures are designed and erected. Despite the successful construction of full-scale structures by various academic and industrial bodies, a significant hurdle remains: the existing codes of practice for evaluating structural integrity are not fully adapted to these new methods. As a result, many of these innovative structures are not certified for public use and are instead relegated to the status of display prototypes. A notable attempt to bridge this gap was made through a project at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), where a 3D concrete printed (3DCP) bridge was constructed using a 'Design by Testing' approach.
This initiative aimed to integrate 3DCP within a public traffic framework, highlighting the practical challenges and regulatory barriers involved. The paper details the complex process of designing, testing, and refining the bridge to meet safety standards, and the adaptive measures required to address these challenges. The project serves as a critical case study in advancing 3DCP towards broader acceptance and certification for public use, providing valuable insights into the intersection of innovative manufacturing techniques and traditional engineering standards.
