Construction Evolution & 3D Construction Printing

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - May 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Throughout history humankind has striven to construct evermore comfortable and durable structures using available materials and systems. Construction methods and architectural design have been restricted and developed in accordance with available material and systems. Ancient Babylon built with fired bricks. The hewn stone structures of ancient Egypt and Greece employed stone beams and columns, examples of which, such as the Parthenon, can be seen to this day.

However, it is ancient Roman ferrocement structures that have best withstood the tests of time.   They built colossal aqueducts, stadiums, public buildings and temples with impressive ferrocement domes, girded by huge chains, many of which still stand today. The most famous is the Pantheon, still intact after 2000 years and several earthquakes. Then Roman construction techniques and material sciences were lost as the empire fell and Europe entered into the "dark ages".

Since then, European/Western construction methods and architecture have re-evolved. Metal tools made it possible for Europeans to produce wood posts and beams for the construction of sturdy structures and to move out of woven wattle huts and the like into more durable architecture with straight lines and square corners. Then, in the Middle Ages, the introduction of masonry arches, domes, vaults, and flying buttresses brought about the Gothic architectural renaissance. In the late nineteenth century high-rise iron and steel frame skyscrapers began to transform the skylines of modern cities. In the twentieth century reinforced cement requiring complex external forms came next, generally following the straight architectural lines of other building methods.

Now, in the twenty-first century 3D Construction printing is being touted globally as the next major evolution in construction. Allowing for significantly more efficient construction, it is potentially capable of building a structure in far less time than current methods, at a lower cost and with virtually no waste. However, so far the possibilities and implications of 3D construction printing have only been minimally realized. None of the current 3D Construction printing companies is able to print either foundations or roofs. These 3D construction printing systems are essentially scaled up versions of desktop 3D printers, in which the filament has been replaced by a complex and or proprietary concrete mix that is extruded from an overhead multi-pass round nozzle. This method is significantly constrained by many inherent limitations, as first and foremost, the speed is limited to the layering of multiple thin passes, producing aesthetically undesirable surface finishes, it can only print straight vertical walls, severely limiting construction and architecture. This method also generally requires large and heavy equipment and extensive site preparation, and an expensive crane for the assembly of a gantry system.

Armatron Systems' technologies addresses and overcomes virtually all of the limitations that are currently available. The construction equipment is easily and quickly set up by one person, and a full-scale, reinforced concrete cementatious curvilinear structure is quickly constructed onsite, complete with foundation and roof. Not requiring any formworks or molds, Armatron Systems provides tremendous architectural freedom, using a wide variety of cementatious mixes (ranging from generic to high performance), producing a wide variety of interior and exterior surface finishes in real time. This versatility allows rapid and efficient construction, ranging from simple to highly complex structures, at a significantly lower time and cost, producing virtually no onsite waste. Whether used for rapid building of 3rd world housing, emergency structures, or high-end one of a kind homes and everything in between, Armatron Systems structures will last for generations with virtually no maintenance.

Simply put, if it can be engineered, Armatron Systems can construct it.

To learn more, please visit http://www.armatron.com