3D Concrete Printing: Factors Affecting the US and Portugal

Housing starts have never recovered from the Great Recession and therefore the lack of inventory has driven up pricing resulting in a crisis of affordable options in the market. Both the United States (US) and Portuguese housing markets are experiencing this crisis driven by high costs of financing, land, materials, labor, and a limited supply chain. Emergent technologies provide one solution to labor, material and lack of production and 3D concrete printing (3DCP) promises solutions, reduces waste, and improves quality. Yet few studies discuss drivers of and barriers to this emerging technology, especially catered to specific markets. This work aims to develop a common set of attributes affecting the diffusion of 3D printing, comparing international market needs and differing factors that could both hinder and bolster the adoption of 3D concrete printing technology. This paper considers only additive manufacturing when referring to 3DCP and analysis is derived from a distillation of various types of media and the lack of empirical work is a limitation for the industry.