MIT 3D-Printed Concrete Bridge Cuts Material Use and Carbon Emissions
tomorrowsworldtoday.comMIT researchers have developed a 3D printing system for concrete that could significantly cut carbon emissions from construction. The system accounts for printer hardware limits during the design phase, eliminating the gap between optimal digital models and what machines can actually build. In tests, a 7.5-foot model bridge made from off-the-shelf mortar held over 2,000 pounds with minimal bending. The key finding is that printing a 1-centimeter line of concrete instead of a 4-centimeter line could reduce material use by up to 76 percent. The bridge relied entirely on compression, which concrete handles well, and avoided tension forces that cause cracking. The team plans to move toward reinforced concrete structures, though integrating rebar into printed concrete remains a challenge.