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UAE: Print an entire concrete wall for school project? University gets high-tech 3D-printer at new research lab

The new machine will allow faculty members and students to create intricate building designs that would be difficult to achieve with traditional construction methods

Published: Sat 4 Mar 2023, 11:29 AM

Updated: Sat 4 Mar 2023, 2:39 PM

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A new 3D-concrete printing research lab — equipped with technology that can create unique building designs — has been established at the Abu Dhabi University (ADU) main campus.

The ADU’s College of Engineering (CoE) inaugurated the lab that features advanced 3D-printing technologies that will contribute to prototyping concrete structures.

Through these machines, faculty members and students will be able to create intricate shapes and designs that would be difficult to achieve using traditional construction methods.

Among their equipment at the lab is a 3D Concrete Gantry Lab printer — the first-of-its-type at a university in the country. It can produce various lab-scale concrete structural elements (e.g., columns, beams, walls) in different shapes and sizes.

Through similar innovative learning opportunities, ADU aims to foster innovation and creativity in the fields of 3D concrete printing and sustainability among its students.

The lab will also contribute to ADU’s environmental sustainability efforts by reducing waste and material usage, promoting energy efficiency, and encouraging innovative designs among faculty and students. It will also help provide a more inclusive environment for women to participate in a male-dominated industry, as 3D-concrete printing is a less labour-intensive construction technique.

“The 3D Concrete Printing Lab represents a significant step forward in the field of construction technology. With this facility, we seek to provide our students and faculty with the tools and resources to explore new ideas and push the boundaries of what is possible in this field," said professor Ghassan Aouad, chancellor of ADU.

The lab is the fruit of ADU’s recent win in the prestigious Aspire grant awarded by the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) in the UAE. The research team led by Dr. Samer Al Martini, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at ADU and Dr. Reem Sabouni, Associate Professor, received a grant to study the application of 3D concrete technology for the UAE construction industry to help promote sustainability in the UAE’s construction sectors.

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