Design and Fabrication of Formwork for Shell Structures Based on 3D-printing Technology

Abstract

Shell structure is a kind of structure using a small amount of materials to obtain a large-span multi-functional space. However, lots of formwork and scaffold materials are often wasted in the construction process. This paper focuses on the shell structure construction using robotic 3D printing PLA (an environmental friendly material) technology as the background. The author explores the possibility of 3D printing technology in shell construction from small scale models in different construction method, and gradually optimizes the shell template shape suitable for PLA material in full-scale construction. Finally, the research team chose the bending-active 3D printing type and completed the construction of three full-scale concrete shell molds. Under the guidance of professor Philippe Block, the research team finished the final 3D printing mold with optimized slicing and bending logic and successfully used it as the template mold to carry the tiles which proved the feasibility of this construction method.