Special Issue "Automation and Digital Fabrication in the Building Construction Process"

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2022.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Valentino Sangiorgio
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Concrete Science and Technology (ICITECH), Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 València, Spain
Interests: building construction technologies; building-performance; multi-criteria analysis; digital fabrication

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The building construction sector is undergoing one of the most profound transformations of its history. In particular, the “Digital Transition” of the building sector is profoundly changing building technologies and construction processes. Even if the innovation process still remains scattered and not really organized, automation and digital fabrication are certainly playing a significant role in this transformation and will be fundamental tools for the buildings of the future. In this context, the use of computer-aided design (CAD) has become extremely popular over the past decade. In addition, in recent years, the advent of modern technologies of the Industry 4.0 has allowed the wide diffusion of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) techniques in the building sector. In CAM, machines such as lathes, laser cutters, and milling machines (also integrated in powerful robotic arms) are directed by a computer to perform complex digital fabrication (a process called numerical control—CNC). Afterwards, in the early 21st century, CAM introduced the use of 3D printers that has become one of the frontlines of the transformations happening in the building sector.

Beyond 3D printing, automation is improving various processes in building production. Human intervention and error are more and more reduced, embodying decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions in machines. In support of this automated process, the application of modern intelligent sensor networks allows acquiring useful information about the building to pave the way for the visionary concept of the digital twin. All these new techniques open up new possibilities for high-performance and sustainable building production processes.

This Special Issue aims to gather research on the use of automation and digital fabrication in building construction. In particular, the Special Issue is open to the research contributions in the building sector dealing with digital models, computer-aided design (including point cloud surveys), computer-aided manufacturing, 3D printing, automation, novel sensor performance monitoring, and digital twins.

Dr. Valentino Sangiorgio
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable building
  • building construction technologies
  • automation in building construction
  • building digital models
  • computer-aided design
  • point cloud surveys
  • computer-aided manufacturing
  • digital fabrication for building
  • 3D technology for building
  • 3D technologies and sustainable new building materials
  • 3D technologies and sustainable construction procedures
  • intelligent sensor system
  • sensors for building monitoring
  • digital twin

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Building Envelope Prefabricated with 3D Printing Technology
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 8923; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13168923 - 09 Aug 2021
Viewed by 545
Abstract
The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the beginning of a profound change for the building sector. In the last decade, the perspective of shapes, materials, and construction techniques is evolving fast due to the additive manufacturing technology. On the other hand, even if the [...] Read more.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents the beginning of a profound change for the building sector. In the last decade, the perspective of shapes, materials, and construction techniques is evolving fast due to the additive manufacturing technology. On the other hand, even if the technology is growing fast and several 3D printed buildings are being developed worldwide, the potential of concrete 3D printing in building prefabrication remains unexplored. Consequently, the application of new digital fabrication technologies in the construction industry requires a redesign of the construction process and its components. This paper proposes a novel conception, design, and prototyping of a precast building envelope to be prefabricated with extrusion-based 3D concrete printing (3DCP). The new design and conception aim to fully exploit the potential of 3D printing for prefabricated components, especially in terms of dry assembly, speed of implementation, reusability, recyclability, modularity, versatility, adaptability, and sustainability. Beyond the novel conceptual design of precast elements, the research investigated the 3D printable cementitious material based on a magnesium potassium phosphate cement (MKPC), which was devised and tested to ensure good performances of the proposed component. Finally, a prototype has been realised in scale with additive manufacturing technology in order to verify the printability and to optimize the extruder path. This study leads us to believe that the combined use of prefabricated systems, construction automation, and innovative materials can decisively improve the construction industry’s sustainability in the future. Full article
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