NEWS
3DCP: 3D printed low carbon concrete
When Denmark’s 3DCP Group set out to build ‘Europe’s largest printed housing project’, they also knew they wanted to minimise embodied carbon wherever possible.
It was this aim that led 3DCP to partner with Material Evolution on its project to build the six-building Skovsporet cluster in Holstebro, Denmark for VIA University College. In what may be a first in the construction world, 3DCP used Material Evolution’s MevoCem to 3D print ultra-low carbon concrete in the campus’ bike storage and waste container areas.
MevoCem, our alternative binder designed to replace ordinary Portland cement (OPC), does not contain any OPC and therefore sits outside the existing concrete codes. Using it on low-risk, non-structural applications like a bike shed wall generates real-world data that helps to build confidence across the construction space.
Ultimately, these types of demonstration projects will help to make MevoCem and other novel binder products more accepted for additional applications.
TRANSLATION:
PRINTED WITHOUT TRADITIONAL CEMENT
The elements in this bicycle shelter have been 3D-printed in a new material developed in collaboration between 3DCP Group and Material Evolution.
The material contains 0% Portland cement and shows a new way forward for how the buildings of the future can be created using new materials and digital production.
Overall, the solution contributes to a reduction in the CO₂ footprint of more than 80% compared with traditional concrete.
Here at Skovsporet, the material has been taken out of the laboratory and used in a real building project, as a concrete example of how innovation becomes reality.
A special thank you to NordVestBO for having the courage to be among the first to test the material in practice, and to Innovationsfonden (Innovation Fund Denmark) for supporting its development.
0% Portland cement. 3D-printed. Built for the future.
A path to wider acceptance and uptake
Dr Liz Gilligan, Founder and CEO @ Material Evolution said: “It’s a reminder that carbon reduction in construction is about getting started and growing from there. Involvement in projects such as this – the outbuildings and smaller structures that don’t usually get the spotlight – provide an ideal gateway to wider acceptance and uptake within the industry. We’re proud to have partnered on this project and thrilled to see such an innovative example of the future of green construction come to life.”
XX @ 3DCP Group said: “We were extremely impressed with the performance of MevoCem in our 3D printing process. The quick-setting nature of the binder meant we could print faster – we didn’t have to wait as long for each layer to set before printing the next layer. If it was within code we would have liked to use it across the whole project. We see huge potential in this technology, and we hope to work with Material Evolution to help scale up adoption of their low-carbon technology going forward.”