Modern 3D Concrete Printing and Historical Flat Arch Slab System: Exploration of Potentials

Abstract

Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) is evolving as a method to accelerate construction while enhancing quality control and sustainability. Nonetheless, 3DCP encounters challenges when it comes to printing certain horizontal structural elements such as slabs. The historical flat arch slab (FAS) system, characterized by extruded structural clay tiles supported by steel beams, presents potential solutions to address this issue. Using geometrically-flexible formwork-free 3DCP construction technology to build hollow concrete FAS following the end-construction (end-pressure) technique of the historical FAS is explored in this study. The paper starts with reviewing the historical clay tile FAS theory and application, followed by discussing the potential of using 3DCP to construct a hollow concrete FAS. An overview of the 3DCP technology follows. Then, a discussion of the potential of using 3DCP to construct hollow concrete FAS following the end-construction (end-pressure) of the historical FAS is provided. Lastly, a summary is presented.