3D Printing in Civil Engineering

POINT

• Fabricating components for large-scale civil engineering structures using 3D printing

  Video of PCa installation

  In the R3 Seisho Coast bedrock-type submerged breakwater project in Oiso Town, Kanagawa Prefecture, precast (PCa) components produced by 3D printer were used for part of the breakwater designed to protect the beach from erosion. The precast blocks were fabricated in a factory and transported to the construction site for installation underwater. This approach enhanced safety and construction quality while also reducing labor requirements and shortening the project schedule.
  This marks the first time in Japan that components manufactured with a 3D printer have been used in a large-scale structure like a submerged breakwater.

• Precast units for corners of temporary retaining walls for dams

  PCa installation video

  At the Shin-Maruyama Dam construction site in Kamo and Kani Districts, Gifu Prefecture, precast components—both standard and 3D-printed—were used for the retaining wall of a temporary construction management facility.
  For three non-standard corner sections, precast components produced with a construction-grade 3D printer were applied. By using precast components instead of in-situ concrete, the number of on-site construction days was reduced from approximately 20 to just 1.5 days—a roughly 90% reduction in construction time.
  Going forward, plans are underway to explore the full precast approach for access pathways used in the dam’s main construction work.