On the 2025 Venice Structure Biennale, the concrete sculpture Duality of Pores and skin and Core showcases the inventive use of coloured iron oxide pigments in 3D printed structure. Developed by Assistant Professor Cristina Nan and architect Mattia Zucco from Eindhoven College of Know-how, in collaboration with German specialty chemical substances firm LANXESS and Dutch 3D printing agency Vertico, the work is featured within the Time. Area. Existence. exhibition. It explores how digital fabrication, modular design, and materials coloration can push the boundaries of 3D concrete printing past its standard grey palette.
Redefining the Column: Modularity and Sustainability
Duality of Pores and skin and Core reimagines the classical architectural column with a slit within the outer layer that reveals a vibrant interior floor, giving the piece its identify. It consists of 13 light-weight modules—9 cylindrical drums and 4 wing-shaped extensions—every weighing underneath 30 kilograms to facilitate dealing with, transport, and reuse.
This modular strategy allows easy meeting and disassembly, supporting round design rules. By extending the lifespan of parts by way of reuse, the sculpture highlights how AM can contribute to extra sustainable, resource-efficient building.
Evaluating Pigments in 3D Concrete Printing
In parallel, LANXESS is working with the Institute of Building Supplies on the Technical College of Dresden to evaluate the efficiency of its Bayferrox and Colortherm pigments underneath 3D printing circumstances. Preliminary outcomes point out that the pigments present constant, high-quality coloration with out negatively impacting the mechanical or bodily properties of the concrete.
These findings assist the broader software of shade in 3D concrete printing, reinforcing its potential to merge structural integrity with expressive, architectural design.
Increasing the Capabilities of 3D Printed Concrete
Progress Group, an organization specializing in mechanical engineering and precast concrete techniques, launched a brand new proprietary 3D printing course of referred to as Selective Paste Intrusion (SPI). Designed for large-format concrete components, the SPI system achieves a layer decision of three millimeters and is presently in operation on the firm’s facility in Brixen, South Tyrol. SPI allows focused materials deposition, decreasing general concrete utilization by putting paste solely the place structurally mandatory.
Elsewhere, researchers on the College of New Mexico (UNM) developed a self-reinforced, ultra-ductile cementitious materials tailor-made for 3D printing. Addressing the brittleness of standard concrete, the crew, led by assistant professor Maryam Hojati, included polymer fibers into the combination, enabling it to resist tensile and bending forces with out the necessity for metal reinforcement. The venture aimed to beat one of many key limitations in 3D printing concrete: the incompatibility of conventional rebar with extrusion-based processes.
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Featured picture exhibits Duality of Pores and skin and Core. Photograph by way of LANXESS.
