A critical review of 3D printing and digital manufacturing in construction engineering

Ali M.H. Issayev G. Shehab E. Sarfraz S.
29 June 2022 Emerald Group Holdings Ltd.

Rapid Prototyping Journal
2022 #28 Issue 7 1312 - 1324 pp.

Purpose: In recent years, 3D printing technologies have been widely used in the construction industry. 3D printing in construction is very attractive because of its capability of process automation and the possibility of saving labor, waste materials, construction time and hazardous procedures for humans. Significant researches were conducted to identify the performance of the materials, while some researches focused on the development of novel techniques and methods, such as building information modeling. This paper aims to provide a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art of currently used 3D printing technologies in the construction areas and global acceptance in its applications. Design/methodology/approach: The working principle of additive manufacturing in construction engineering (CE) is presented in terms of structural design, materials used and theoretical background of the leading technologies that are used to construct buildings and structures as well as their distinctive features. Findings: The trends of 3D printing processes in CE are very promising, as well as the development of novel materials, will gain further momentum. The findings also indicate that the digital twin (DT) in construction technology would bring the industry a step forward toward achieving the goal of Industry 5.0. Originality/value: This review highlights the prospects of digital manufacturing and the DT in construction engineering. It also indicates the future research direction of 3D printing in various constriction sectors.

3D printing , Additive construction , Additive manufacturing , Concrete printing , Rapid prototyping

Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
Manufacturing Department, School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing, Cranfield University, Cranfield, United Kingdom

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Manufacturing Department

10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель

Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026