Meet Colombia's first large-format 3D concrete printer.
- Conconcreto Construction Company, a pioneer in Latin America with the large-format 3D concrete printer in Colombia.
- Mixtures, street furniture, small buildings, and housing prototypes are some of the advances being developed with this technology.
Colombia. April 2021The construction industry is one of the most unproductive in the world. The most efficient global companies in this sector have productivity levels reaching 65%, while Colombia is just beginning its growth curve. Faced with this, the enormous challenge lies in challenging paradigms and promoting technologies, tools, and processes that help us move toward a more efficient and sustainable future.
Among the technologies being implemented by leading companies to increase productivity is 3D printing or additive manufacturing*, in which a computer model is designed to map out the trajectories so the machine can move and deposit the material according to the coordinates. To take a more everyday example, it would be comparable to a pastry bag, where the nozzle deposits the mixture layer by layer until the final product is created—in this case, a piece of urban furniture, a structural wall, or even a house.
In Colombia, the first large-format 3D printer for ready-mix concrete is located at Constructora Conconcreto and was custom-developed in 2016 by the company's engineers. This innovation gives the construction sector the ability to create complex and precise geometries that could not be achieved using traditional methods, with lower safety risks compared to other construction methods and faster manufacturing compared to traditional construction.
How has this technology evolved in the country?
3D printing technology for construction in Colombia has made great strides toward mix standardization and large-scale production. Constructora Conconcreto is a pioneer in Latin America in using this technology for construction, which is increasingly approaching traditional construction in terms of cost.
What has been the company's contribution with this technology and what are its projections?
Progress has been made in several aspects with this technology, which has so much potential for the sector.
Mixture: Together with Industrial Conconcreto, the company developed a high-strength concrete mix, one of the greatest challenges to ensure a durable, functional, and aesthetic result. Urban furniture: Benches, tables, chairs, and decorative elements are part of the company's portfolio of innovative products. Between 2019 and 2020, more than 350 elements were printed with this technology. Small buildings: The gatehouse of the Logika Siberia industrial park in Cundinamarca is the first commercial property in Latin America developed with additive manufacturing. This 22-meter building is composed of 21 pieces printed in concrete. Housing prototype: Casa Origami is the first housing module developed with additive manufacturing in Colombia. It was made with 32 pieces that took about 26 hours to print and is self-powered.
"Our challenge now is to take the printer out into the real world, printing a ready-mix concrete house using this technology. This is one of the technologies that leading companies are implementing to increase productivity, and Conconcreto is at a level of 85%," says Juan Luis, president of Conconcreto Construction Company.
The company is focused on minimizing its environmental impact and increasing productivity. Delivering on time and within budget has been a mission statement that has been embedded in the company's DNA for over five years. Time is an important variable as it has a significant impact on projects and sustainability, which is why 5D printing is one of Conconcreto's initiatives to make significant changes in the construction industry.
* Source: Leaders and followers in the engineering & construction industry. KPMG, 2017
