Netherlands: CONCR3DE Uses Abandoned Materials for More Environmentally Conscious 3D Printing with Concrete

New companies like Netherlands-based CONCR3DE are showing us exactly how 3D printing will change so many industries—with concrete and construction at the top of the list. With the ability to use sustainable concrete for the parts they make at their Rotterdam facility, the CONCR3DE team has been involved in several innovative projects—one of which earned them awards at the recent 3D Pioneers Challenge (3DPC), organized by d.sign21 and held at Rapid.Tech + FabCon 3.D.

Lauded for the use of abandoned materials that can then be used for 3D printing in their concrete mix, CONCR3DE was founded by Eric Geboers and Matteo Baldassari. They have created custom materials in the form of 3D printing powder and binders that can create parts that are not only high end but are part of a technique that the company states can save up to 80 percent of CO₂ output currently being produced in the concrete industry. The progressive 3D printing company can 3D print ‘any shape imaginable’ with a resolution of 100 microns. The parts they fabricate offer a range of different functionalities and are available in a variety of colors.

The re-creation of the beloved Palmyra Arch, destroyed by ISIS, has been taken on by the #NEWPALMYRA project over the past couple of years, with their 3D printed arch available for free download under a CC0 license. It has also caught the attention of the CONCR3DE team, and was one of the pieces that won them an award in the 3DPC challenge.

“The ancient city of Palmyra in Syria was destroyed by ISIS in 2015 – but together with the New Palmyra Project, we can rebuild it,” states the CONCR3DE team on their website. “We have 3D printed a piece of the Arch of Palmyra in our high end concrete. With a bigger machine, we could 3D print entire columns, arches and ornaments.”

Other projects include:

• 

  3D printed concrete architecture prototype

  A prototype for an abri (a shelter or overhang), 3D printed in a 1:10 scale model for Studio RAP so they could demonstrate the model idea to clients. According to the CONCR3DE team, their technology was the only way such a complex shape could be made in thin concrete.

• Creating complex 3D printed architectures, such as arches and other unique geometries that can be fabricated in a range of colors, materials, and with many different details. These pieces will be easily transportable by truck, as well as quickly assembled by workers once they arrive on the site.
• Artistic pieces, such as their ‘Coral Lamp,’ inspired by brain coral. These 3D printed pieces are meant for the home or office, offered as an extension of their other innovative architectural creations.

While CONCR3DE has taken 3D printing with concrete to a unique and expanded level—as well as a more environmentally conscious one, many other companies are using the technology in building also, from tiny houses to bridges and far more.

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[Images: CONCR3DE]