New manufacturing methods in solid construction practice

The increasing shortage of skilled workers, rising demands for efficiency and sustainability, and technological developments in areas such as automation and additive manufacturing are putting pressure on the construction industry to take action. In solid construction in particular, the integration of new manufacturing methods represents a great opportunity – but at the same time a challenge, as existing production processes and building regulations often rely on tried-and-tested methods and are not geared towards innovative technologies.

Against this backdrop, the project ‘New Manufacturing Methods in Solid Construction Practice’ aims to identify and test practical and economically viable applications for new manufacturing technologies in solid construction. The focus is on the targeted automation of individual sub-processes that can be realistically integrated into existing production processes. A concrete example is the automated production of recessed bodies as permanent formwork, which promises efficiency gains, especially in standardised manufacturing processes – for example, on tilting tables or circulating systems.

The project deliberately focuses on technically feasible solutions with immediate practical benefits and pursues a step-by-step technology transfer into construction practice. This also includes the evaluation of the durability of additively manufactured mineral component layers and the preparation of building code approval through approval in individual cases or project-related type approval.

The project is being carried out by the CBI in collaboration with member companies Lupp Fertigteile, Echterhoff, Nesseler and HEITKAMP. Scientific support is being provided by the Institute of Structural Concrete of RWTH Aachen University.