PROJECTS

BENEFICIARIES

The TherBlock3Dp project is being developed in partnership by the following entities: Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FE/UP) and Itecons.

The project is also being developed in close collaboration with TU/e – Eindhoven University of Technology and with MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

MAIN OBJECTIVE | TherBlock3Dp project aims to develop a concrete block with high thermal performance using 3D printing technology.

SCOPE

Over the past few decades, building processes have been fundamentally based on manual labour, which is one of the reasons why the construction industry is regarded as low tech with low levels of innovation.

When compared to traditional methods like casting concrete in formwork, construction 3D printing (c3Dp) has revealed important economic, environmental and constructability advantages, such as reduction in building time and waste, mass customization and complex architectural shapes.  Furthermore, c3Dp is pointed out as a promising trend of the future in the Digital Transformation in industry, due to the potential association of 3D printing with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and artificial intelligence (AI).

Overall, a lack of knowledge related to the thermal behaviour of additively manufactured building elements was verified, mainly due to the fact that research projects are at an early stage of application, focused on structural design and durability concerns. However, with the fast evolution of additive manufacturing methodologies for building construction, thermal insulation represents a knowledge gap that must be closed.

MAIN OBJETIVES

In this exploratory project, a masonry block/panel with improved thermal behaviour will be developed using a construction 3D printing technology. It is intended to explore the thermal behaviour of additively manufactured building elements finding measures/solutions to improve it. For that, the incorporation of thermal insulation materials and different geometries will be evaluated. In a first stage the basic solution of concrete blocks will be printed and tested in laboratory to evaluate its thermal properties. The experimental results will be used as inputs in a 2D/3D thermal simulation software. The same software will then be used to optimize the thermal behaviour of the block/panel, by changing the geometry and the materials of the basic solution. Finally, the optimized solution will be printed and new tests will be performed to validate the numerical results.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES

• Task 1 - Hygrothermal analysis of existing 3D printing solutions.
• Task 2 - New thermal performance improvements on 3d printing solutions (geometry and materials).
• Task 3 - Availability of 3D print a new thermal block.
• Task 4 - Dissemination.

MAIN RESULTS

• Experimental characterization of the physical properties of mixtures/materials to be used in 3D printing of concrete blocks;
• Definition and 3D printing of concrete block solutions filled in with thermal insulation materials;
• Experimental characterization;
• Numerical simulation under static and dynamic conditions.

LIST OF COMMUNICATIONS

• Pessoa, S., Jesus, M., Guimarães, A.S., Lucas, S.S., Simões, N., Upcoming Challenges on the Application of Thermal Insulation in 3d Printed Building Elements, CEES2021 – International Conference – Construction, Energy, Environment and Sustainability, 12-15, Coimbra, Portugal, October 2021.
• Jesus, M., Pessoa, S., Guimarães, A.S., Delgado, J.M.P.Q., Simões, N., Tadeu, A., Serra, C.L., Prata, J., Reinhart, C., Lucas, S.S., TherBlock3Dp – 3D Printing Thermal Blocks, MPP Annual Conference, Matosinhos, Portugal, 20 September, 2021. (Poster)
• Guimarães, A.S., Delgado, J.M.P.Q., Lucas, S.S., Thermal and Environmental Benefits of 3D Printing on Building Construction, DSL-2021 – 17th International Conference on Diffusion in Solids and Liquids, Malta, 28 June - 02 July, 2021. (Poster)
• Guimarães, A.S., Delgado, J.M.P.Q., Lucas, S.S., Additive Manufacturing on Building Construction, DSL-2021 – 17th International Conference on Diffusion in Solids and Liquids, Malta, 28 June - 02 July, 2021. (Poster)
• Pessoa, S., Jesus, M., Rangel, C., Guimarães, A.S., Lucas, S.S., Simões, N., Preliminary study of the application of thermal mortar in 3D printed concrete walls, Digital Concrete 2022 – 3rd RILEM International Conference on Digital Fabrication with Concrete, Loughborough University, UK, June 27-29, 2022. (Abstract)
• Jesus, M., Teixeira, J., Alves, J.L., Rangel, B., Pessoa, S., Guimarães, A.S., Potential Use of Sugarcane Bagasse Ash in Cementitious Mortars for 3D Printing, Digital Concrete 2022 – 3rd RILEM International Conference on Digital Fabrication with Concrete, Loughborough University, UK, June 27-29, 2022. (Abstract)

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS

• Pessoa, S., Guimarães, A.S., Lucas, S.S., Simões, N., 3D printing in the construction industry - A systematic review of the thermal performance in buildings, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 141, 110794, 2021.
• Guimarães, A.S., Delgado, J.M.P.Q., Lucas, S.S., Advanced Manufacturing in Civil Engineering, Energies, 14(15), 2021.

Master Thesis:

• June 2021 - Luisa Guida (UP/FEUP – MPRINCE) - DESENVOLVIMENTO DE UM MANUAL DE SOLUÇÕES CONSTRUTIVAS DE ENVIDRAÇADOS. SOLUÇÕES PARA CONSTRUÇÃO TRADICIONAL VS CONSTRUÇÕES IMPRESSAS EM 3D – Supervisor: Guimarães, A.S.
• June 2021 - Bruno Duarte (UP/FEUP – MIEC) - IDENTIFICAÇÃO E AVALIAÇÃO DE RESÍDUOS TERMICAMENTE EFICIENTES QUE POSSAM CONTRIBUIR PARA O ISOLAMENTO TÉRMICO DE EDIFÍCIOS – SOLUÇÕES CONSTRUTIVAS IMPRESSAS EM 3D – Supervisor: Guimarães, A.S. and suport of Jesus, M.
• September 2021 - Pedro Paulo (UP/FEUP – MIEC) - CATÁLOGO DE SOLUÇÕES ATIVAS E PASSIVAS PARA A CONSTRUÇÃO DE CASAS TERMICAMENTE AUTÓNOMAS. CONSTRUÇÃO TRADICIONAL VS CONSTRUÇÃO COM RECURSO A IMPRESSÃO 3D – Supervisors: Guimarães, A.S. and Delgado, J.M.P.Q.
• Started in october 2021 – José Miguel Martins (UC) – SOLUÇÕES DE IMPRESSÃO 3D MELHORADAS TERMICAMENTE – Supervisors: Simões, N., Guimarães, A.S.

FCT INFORMATION