Australian researchers 3D print concrete structures underwater
Australian researchers have succeeded in printing structures with additive-free concrete underwater without the concrete flowing away.
The Luyten 3D printer uses special concrete to print durable maritime structures underwater.
(Image: Luyten/Screenshot)
A research team from the Australian University of Wollongong (UOW), in cooperation with Luyten 3D, a 3D concrete printing company, has developed an underwater concrete 3D printing process. This allows underwater structures such as anchors for floating offshore facilities to be easily printed and repaired on-site. UOW announced this on Wednesday. Unlike conventional methods, the concrete used does not require chemical accelerators or additives to harden in water. The concrete mixture developed by the researchers hardens solely through its material design.
Resistant concrete
Underwater work with concrete usually relies on multi-stage processes or fast-hardening chemical additives to prevent fresh concrete from being washed away in water. However, these have several disadvantages: they increase the risk to the environment, cause high costs, and the procedures for applying them are complicated and time-consuming.
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In contrast, the concrete developed by UOW scientists resists washout in water and maintains its structural integrity during the printing process. No additives are mixed into the concrete. The researchers used intelligent material design to maintain stability until hardening.
The scientists do not provide details on how this is achieved. There is also no publication on the research work. However, a video from Luyten shows in time-lapse how simple concrete structures are created underwater with a concrete 3D printing system without the special concrete flowing away.
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"Underwater printing fundamentally changes our approach to building, repairing, and reinforcing critical infrastructure in maritime environments," says Ahmed Mahil, President and CEO of Luyten 3D. Specifically, the combination of technology from 3D printing machine and special concrete can be used to build and repair maritime defense facilities, ports, and coastal infrastructure faster. This includes, for example, concrete anchors for floating offshore facilities.
(olb)
