In August, representatives from the Irish Concrete Federation (ICF) and Cement Manufacturers Ireland (CMI) presented University College Dublin (UCD) with 3D-concrete printing technology for its Civil and Structural Engineering laboratory. Liam Smyth (ICF) and Richard Bradley (CMI) presented the equipment to Dr Ciaran McNally and Dr Atteyeh Natanzi from the School of Civil Engineering in UCD.
Concrete has been used as a building material for generations. Now technologies such as 3D-concrete printing have the potential to take the construction industry to the next level. 3D-printing allows the printing of different types, qualities, and colors of concrete. 3D concrete printing is now being explored for use in the construction of houses, bridges, buildings and even wind turbine towers.
The Concrete Development Group, which is comprised of the ICF and CMI, has also recently presented concrete testing laboratory equipment to Cork Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin and Technological University of Dublin in order to ensure that engineering students gain direct ‘hands on’ experience of using advanced testing equipment.