In this study, researchers propose to optimize existing and emerging manufacturing strategies to achieve the climate policy goal of promoting C3DP.
Standards and specifications: ● Develop manufacturing standards to ensure the strength and durability of 3D printing cementing materials.
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Research and development: ● Continue to fund research related to material composition and printing protocols to improve the strength, durability and long-term performance of 3D printing structures.
● Encourage the reporting and sharing of data on LCA research, greenhouse gases and other environmental indicators.
Due to these inherent material manufacturing processes and growing global demand, cement is widely considered as a “difficult to mitigate” problem in global climate mitigation.
Cement production and construction use account for 77% and 8% of the total life cycle emissions of cement and concrete from production to scrap respectively.
Low-carbon technology of cement can be realized through policies centered on cement production process and consumer-oriented policies.
● Encourage construction companies to conduct greenhouse gas inventory and share data in open source libraries.
● There should be provisions for the incentives provided by construction companies to increase C3DP, and additional rebates, tax relief and accelerated construction permits should be given to companies with C3DP sustainable development goals (such as reducing material use and waste).
Research and development funds should continue to be used to research C3DP to improve mechanical strength.
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Researchers believe that taking action or issuing such policies as soon as possible will not only have a positive effect on global carbon emissions, but also have a huge impact on improving national competitiveness, developing the construction industry and expanding the construction environment.
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At present, cement production accounts for about 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
● Public-private partnerships for sustainable development can be established to improve the utilization rate of C3DP, and construction companies using C3DP should be encouraged to carry out environmental assessment and share life cycle inventory and greenhouse gas emission data.
● Incorporate design optimization into building codes to encourage the improvement of material use efficiency and reduce waste.
● Increase funding for the development of low-carbon 3D printing cement mixture.
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Update building regulations to include secure, reproducible and low-cost 3D printing protocols.
In cement production, more than 50% of carbon dioxide emissions are caused by chemical processes caused by calcination.
In the coming decades, due to the global population growth and urbanization, the demand for cement-based materials and new buildings will continue to increase.
Public procurement and partnerships: ● Publicly funded construction projects using C3DP should be commissioned by the government to increase the demand and awareness of this technology.
● Establish a training plan to cultivate skilled workers with C3DP material and process knowledge.
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● Include courses on sustainability and C3DP environmental impact in the training plan to improve the skills of the workforce.
● Include guidelines in the standard of low carbon 3D printing cementitious mixtures containing materials such as slag, fly ash, clay and geopolymer.
Guide to the Antarctic Bear: Concrete and cement are among the most used resources in the world, second only to water in consumption.
● Consider designing emission product standards for these materials.
In February 2023, the Antarctic Bear learned that researchers from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., published a critical article “3Dprinting has applied potential for climate mitigation in the cement industry” on Communications Engineering, the first journal of Nature that focuses on various fields of engineering.
However, all the solutions proposed at present have not achieved the systematic changes that can be achieved by expanding the application of 3D printing in the construction field.
The five policies proposed by the author are as follows: 1.
Researchers believe that cement-based building 3D printing (C3DP) may become a climate solution by promoting cement decarbonization, and put forward five policy actions to guide C3DP to become an emission reduction tool.
● Conduct environmental assessment and LCA study in the demonstration project to test and clarify the environmental impact of C3DP compared with traditional buildings.
Information dissemination and labor development: ● Establish open source databases for industry and academia to share reliable data on material manufacturing and printing agreements.
● Support research to improve the knowledge of structural design optimization to reduce the use and waste of C3DP materials.
● Entrust a demonstration project with a long-term performance test plan to increase confidence in C3DP and its application in construction projects.
● Incorporate the printable cementitious materials and the greenhouse gas list of the printing process into the building regulations.
● These projects should formulate public procurement policies, give priority to low-carbon 3D printing cement-based mixtures and design optimization to strengthen decarbonization.
Financial and structural incentives: ● Incentives for cement producers to increase the production of 3D printing cement mixtures should include additional loans and subsidies to encourage the production of low-carbon products.