Spatially Graded Modeling: An Integrated Workflow For 3D Concrete Printing

While 3D concrete printing (3DCP) has surged in popularity, methods to harness its design potential remain largely underdeveloped. Existing design-to-manufacture workflows most commonly restrict the design to the overall geometry and a set of print parameters that may fall outside of the scope of the designer. This study presents a novel approach to integrate design and manufacturing by an integrated design-to-manufacture workflow that allows the gradation of the wall thickness along the printed part, which can be independently manipulated using established computer graphic techniques like texture projection and mesh coloring. The effectiveness of this workflow is demonstrated through the fabrication of a test body featuring a customized surface pattern. This approach aims to extend the design scope for 3DCP, enabling the addition and editing of surface patterns without geometry or code manipulation.