Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES)
A 3D concrete printer that can fabricate buildings efficiently and inexpensively
The Construction Research and Engineering Laboratory (CERL) in Champaign, IL, has developed a breakthrough additive construction technology that prints buildings from concrete with locally available materials. This 3D printer, called Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures (ACES), enables users to print buildings on demand, in the field, with half the amount of materials and 62% less manpower than plywood construction demands.
ACES works equally well with homogeneous materials (such as cement paste) heterogeneous materials (such as concrete) and recycled materials. The 3D printer includes a pump assembly, hoses, and printhead assembly for seamless, integrated printing. ACES provides strong, stable, and safe structures while also lessening the need to plan for and carry extra supplies along on missions. This on-site 3D printer is a game-changer for applications that place a premium on quick response, low-cost, and mobility.
Benefits:
- Less waste: Reduces building materials shipped by half
- Lower cost: Reduces manpower requirements by 62% as compared to plywood
- Flexible: Can custom-build on-site any structure, any size
- Efficient: Builds structures in significantly less time (1 day) than traditional structures (5 days)
- Accurate: Rheology sensor measures the viscosity of the aggregate material during processing
Applications:
- Construction (e.g, buildings, bridges)
- Disaster relief
- Military (e.g., barracks and B-Huts, temporary housing, expeditionary shelters, munitions storage)
- Shelters (e.g., dignified affordable housing, FEMA disaster relief, refugee shelters)
- Buildings (e.g., residential, commercial)
- Hospitals (e.g., alternative care facilities, quarantine facilities)
- Quarantine booths
- NASA (e.g., planetary surface construction)
- Infrastructure (e.g., bridges, culverts, beams, airports)
Patents
Resources
- Fact sheet
- News story
- ERDC article
- Fast Company article
- Video demonstration of printing
- Resilient contingency basing video
- Forbes article on ACES
- Interview with Megan Kreiger on 3D printing