ASTM develops standards for 3D printing with building materials

The ASTM International Committee F42 for Additive Manufacturing Technologies is working on a series of standards for quality assurance and control of materials and components for additive construction with cement-based materials.

The new standards are intended to improve the productivity and structural performance of additive construction processes and materials. Various potential user groups, such as companies that develop and evaluate materials and construction quality in factories or on construction sites, will benefit. Regulatory authorities, who use the standards as a reference, as well as construction engineers for specifications and review of construction documents will also be able to work with the standards. Other beneficiaries include testing laboratories for material testing as well as universities and research institutions for data collection and comparisons.

The planned standards include Guidelines for the additive properties of concretes for 3D printing, a guide for the design and documentation of additively manufactured concrete and mortar components, a guide for curing and sampling of additively manufactured components and a test method for determining the mechanical properties of additively manufactured materials.

“The planned standards address many aspects of the UN sustainability goals such as increased productivity, cost reduction and structural performance through the geometric freedom of 3D printing,” explains ASTM member Eric Kreiger from the US Army. “It can also reduce logistics costs and allow structures to be manufactured in hazardous or remote locations.”