Hyundai Construction to Create Irregular Architectural Structures Using 3D Printing Technology

Accelerating Acquisition of Irregular Construction Technology and Future Construction Technology
3D Printing Irregular Bench Installed at Hillstate Lake Songdo 2nd Phase
To Be Widely Applied in Future On-site Landscaping Structures and More

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo Gang-wook] Hyundai Engineering & Construction announced on the 8th that it is accelerating efforts to secure future construction technology and pioneer irregular construction technology through the development of large-scale composite material 3D printing technology.

Securing Irregular Formwork Construction Technology Using Large-Scale Composite Material 3D Printing

The appearance of an irregular formwork made with 3D printing.

Since 2019, Hyundai Engineering & Construction has been working with 3D Factory, a large-scale 3D printing specialist company, to develop 3D printing technology for irregular architectural fields. They have secured technology for producing irregular formworks using composite materials and are in the process of filing related patents.

Composite material 3D printing has the advantage of being able to use a variety of materials. It can utilize not only low-strength plastics but also high-strength materials such as carbon fiber and glass fiber. Additionally, it is characterized by the ability to create new materials optimized for performance factors like strength and elasticity by mixing two or more materials.

Traditional formwork materials such as plywood and steel have difficulties precisely realizing irregular shapes, resulting in high production costs and long manufacturing periods. However, the composite material 3D printing irregular formwork production technology developed by Hyundai Engineering & Construction uses industrial large-scale 3D printers, enabling surface processing simultaneously with printing. This allows for precision within a processing error of up to 0.001mm. Moreover, formworks measuring 2.5m in width, 5m in length, and 1.5m in height can be produced at once, drastically shortening production time while ensuring economic efficiency and high quality.

The application of filler material produced by 3D printing inside the TBM segment formwork.

Recently, research has been underway to apply 3D printing technology to formworks (moulds) used in the production of segments for TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine), an advanced mechanical tunnel excavation method.

Hyundai Engineering & Construction has improved quality and significantly reduced production costs by producing irregular filler materials inside steel formworks using composite material 3D printing and assembling them, enabling effective production of curved segments with various shapes.

Development and Commercialization of 3D Printed Irregular Benches

The first domestic composite material 3D printed irregular bench (Hillstate Lake Songdo 2nd phase).

Hyundai Engineering & Construction developed irregular landscaping structure production technology using composite material 3D printing technology and filed related patents last July (Patent No. 10-2020-0090790, Method for Producing Irregular Landscaping Structures Using 3D Printing Technology and Irregular Benches Produced Thereby).

3D printing technology, which builds objects by layering three-dimensional models, excels in producing irregular shapes and allows for precise construction. It also offers the advantage of freely changing colors and materials to realize various designs. However, due to limitations in 3D printing materials and equipment, large-scale 3D printing technology has not yet been widely commercialized in the construction sector.

The irregular landscaping structure first applied domestically by Hyundai Engineering & Construction is an outdoor bench measuring 1m in width, 1m in height, and 8m in length. Approximately 200 components of different shapes were layered and processed using 3D printing to produce the bench. Eco-friendly materials that are not easily flammable were used to ensure safety, and the bench received the Q Mark, a quality certification for industrial products, proving its excellent quality.

Starting with ‘Hillstate Lake Songdo 2nd Phase,’ which was occupied last year, Hyundai Engineering & Construction plans to apply this technology to landscaping structures at future DH sites.

A representative from Hyundai Engineering & Construction’s Technology Research Institute stated, "With the development of large-scale composite material 3D printing technology as a milestone, we will lead paradigm shifts in the future construction industry through the development of 3D printing construction technology using architectural materials."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.