An Integrated BIM Planning Workflow for 3D Concrete Printing Projects

Abstract

Three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP) is poised to address such critical challenges as low productivity in construction while offering design flexibility and material usage optimization. Although prior research focused on integrating digital design and fabrication to generate instructions for three-dimensional (3D) printers, existing approaches fall short of developing a building information modeling (BIM) model with the requisite detail for coordination with other construction activities and a lack of customization for defining the printing sequence. This paper streamlines the automation of the modeling process and generation of BIM parameters to consolidate project planning information within a unified level of development (LOD) 400 BIM model. The proposed workflow introduces an automation tool designed to enhance the LOD in 3DCP BIM elements from a lower LOD to LOD 400, which is suitable for fabrication. This proposed approach contributes to industry practices by providing an automated tailored solution for contractors to customize printing sequences and facilitate seamless coordination between 3D-printed elements and nonprinted components, improving overall project efficiency and precision. The outcomes shed light on project visualization and coordination through a detailed 3DCP BIM model and introduce planning parameters for enabling a printing strategy that can incorporate the contractor’s expertise in contrast to other slicer software.