Patent Application
20240376708
The present disclosure relates generally to three-dimensional printing, and more particularly to the three-dimensional printing of building elements, components, and structures.
Traditional residential and commercial building planning and construction processes can be complicated and inefficient. Such processes may involve designing the building, creating a floor plan, obtaining permits, hiring architects, contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and other professionals, and incurring inspections of the building structures at various times during construction. Numerous disparate processes and materials are typically required to form foundations, framing, plumbing, electrical systems, drywall, and the like. Construction of a new building often takes many months to complete and requires multiple contractors, specialists, workers, and various inspections as construction proceeds. Final construction is usually achieved by combining several construction materials of various nature. For example, a main structure may be accompanied by a metal frame to increase wall-bearing capacity, as well as one or more coatings to provide better environmental resistance.
Many industries are changing due to the transformative technologies of three-dimensional (“3D”) printing, but few can compare to the disruptions that are coming to building construction. Many new technologies focus on 3D printing buildings on-site using various concrete mixtures. These approaches face serious challenges due to material limitations such as low thermal efficiency, lack of automation capabilities (one still needs to install steel rebars manually), printed surfaces appearing very raw, and the inability to post-process using robotics or other automation, among various other issues. Printing on-site can also be inefficient because printing equipment requires lots of setup, calibration, and disassembly work, in addition to manual finishing work, among other issues. Printability (e.g., structural integrity) and post-print properties (e.g., interface strength) of concrete mixtures can be highly dependent on printing parameters that pose considerable challenges in deciding on the rheological properties of fresh concrete, and the printing strategy itself.
Some of these concerns are addressed, for example, by Hossain, Md, et al. “A Review of 3D Printing in Construction and its Impact on the Labor Market” Sustainability 12.20(2020): 8492; Camacho, Daniel Delgado, et al. “Applications of additive manufacturing in the construction industry-a prospective review” ISARC. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction. Vol. 34. IAARC Publications (2017); Camacho, Daniel Delgado, et al. “Applications of additive manufacturing in the construction industry—A forward-looking review” Automation in construction 89(2018): 110-119; Mohan, Manu K., et al. “Extrusion-based concrete 3D printing from a material perspective: A state-of-the-art review” Cement and Concrete Composites (2020): 103855; and Han, Yilong, et al. “Environmental and economic assessment on 3D-printed buildings with recycled concrete” Journal of Cleaner Production 278(2021): 123884, among others.
Structural performance and reinforcement of 3D-printed structures and elements, process reliability and limitations, and regulatory challenges are three main existing concerns that hinder the widespread use of automated construction technologies, and all of these concerns are related to 3D printing with concrete. Concrete mixtures cannot be used for load-bearing walls without reinforcement, since as a structural material they provide compressive strength, but not tensile strength. Conventional load-bearing concrete can only be used with reinforcement, usually steel rebar, which is typically installed manually but is not connected to a printed shell. To achieve high performance of a wall structure having steel bars or other reinforcement, contractors typically add concrete aggregates inside a shell structure, which makes it impossible to automate the reinforcement process.
Another challenge for 3D printing processes using concrete is that conventional steel reinforcement is challenging to incorporate into a 3D printing process. Another disadvantage of using concrete in 3D printing is that it generally takes a long time for concrete to solidify or otherwise cure and gain a required level of strength. Such materials thus generally cannot meet performance requirements regarding rapidly solidifying the subject material in a short period of time. Even though the speed of solidification can be increased by changing the formulation, such an increase is usually limited or difficult to control and makes 3D printing impractical for certain circumstances such as constructing a building on a construction site.
In order to support additional layers, the printing process must be stopped to allow the lower layers to cure to the necessary strength, which can take hours or even days in some cases. Breaks are also necessary to pour concrete aggregate inside the printed shell without breaking it to ensure proper reinforcement. The higher the wall the more chance that poured concrete breaks the wall structure during the curing process. Printing breaks have a significant impact on mechanical performance, causing so-called cold joints where the layers do not adhere properly and layer delamination occurs.
In many cases of using concrete as a material for 3D printing of buildings, a wall is a combination of a 3D-printed concrete shell, poured concrete aggregate, and steel reinforcement. There is little room left for thermal insulation, which can only be applied to the outside of the wall either interior or exterior, which is a process that is difficult to automate and requires additional time and/or materials.
Another challenge is that without additional support structures, only vertical walls and domed roofs can be printed. 3D printing concrete-based formulations have long curing and strength gain time periods, such that an entire element or object cannot be completed in a single print cycle. Limitations in vertical extrusion (i.e., layer-by-layer) processes require additional manual work to create support for overhangs. Furthermore, printing of complex infill structures (i.e., internal structures of a 3D-printed part) or freeform architectural features from concrete is generally not possible.
Cracking and reduction in fracture resistance are known issues for 3D-printed concrete building structures. 3D-printed concrete accelerates the evaporation of water, which increases shrinkage and the risk of cracking (lack of formwork to protect against air exposure). Environmental factors such as hydrostatic pressure and temperature can weaken the mechanical properties of extruded concrete and lead to unevenness.
Companies utilizing concrete as a material for 3D printing usually use 3D printers at the construction site because concrete blocks are too heavy to transport. The use of prefab structures is not reasonable with each project requiring complex setup/calibration of the printer on-site, as well as greatly limiting the locations where 3D printing technology can be deployed.
Although traditional ways of forming residential and commercial buildings and elements thereof using 3D printing have worked well in the past, improvements are always helpful. In particular, what is desired is the reduction or elimination of concrete and other traditional construction materials to form buildings and elements thereof for reduced costs taking lesser periods of time without sacrificing required or desirable performance properties.
It is an advantage of the present disclosure to provide building elements, components and structures having limited to no concrete and other traditional construction materials that allow for reduce costs and lesser building times without sacrificing performance properties. The disclosed features, apparatuses, systems, and methods relate to 3D-printed building elements, components, and structures, and in particular building elements that integrate 3D-printed components, such as 3D-printed integrated wall panels and wall panel assemblies.
In various embodiments of the present disclosure, a building element configured to form a portion of an overall building can include a plurality of 3D-printed panels, a plurality of connectors, and one or more load transfer components. The plurality of 3D-printed panels can be formed by 3D printing technology using a photocurable composite material. Each of at least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels can be integrally formed and can include an outer frame shell defining a geometric shape having an interior outer surface, an exterior outer surface, and side edges between the interior and exterior outer surfaces, and an infill structure within the outer frame shell, the infill structure forming internal cavities within the outer frame shell. The plurality of connectors can be coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels and can be configured to couple one or more of the 3D-printed panels to each other, to one or more separate building components of the overall building, or to any combination thereof. The one or more load transfer components can be coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels and configured to transfer loads across one or more of the 3D-printed panels.
In various detailed embodiments, the building element can meet construction industry requirements regarding structural performance, thermal efficiency, fire performance, and waterproofing. The building element can be a 3D-printed integrated wall panel assembly and the overall building can be a residential or commercial building. At least one interior outer surface, at least one exterior outer surface, or both can be covered by one or more finishing coatings. The building element can also include one or more waterproofing components coupled to at least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels. Such one or more waterproofing components can be installed along one or more horizontal or vertical edges of coupled 3D-printed panels. The shape and the size of a given infill structure can determine the stiffness and the ultimate load bearing capacity of its respective 3D-printed panel. Also, the shape and the size of a given infill structure can determine the thermal efficiency of its respective 3D-printed panel by extending one or more thermal bridging paths within its respective 3D-printed panel. The building element can also include a thermal insulation material disposed within at least some of the internal cavities of at least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels.
In further detailed embodiments, at least some of the side edges can include extrusions that form vertical decorative ledges configured to bridge juncture regions between adjacent 3D-printed panels. Also, the one or more separate building components of the overall building can include one or more window frames, door frames, traditional wall segments, foundations, or any combination thereof. The plurality of connectors can include one or more mechanical connectors, one or more chemical adhesives, or any combination thereof. At least a portion of the plurality of connectors can be coupled directly to at least a portion of the one or more load transfer components. Also, the plurality of connectors can include a rim track with slots formed therein configured to couple to a separate floor component or a separate roof component of the overall building. At least a portion of the plurality of 3D-printed panels can include an opening therethrough configured for a window or a door. In various arrangements, the one or more load transfer components can include one or more sets of tension transmitting members. The one or more load transfer components can include a structural steel frame coupled to a first panel of the plurality of 3D-printed panels to form an integrated panel assembly, and the structural steel frame can include a top frame member, a bottom frame member spaced apart from the top frame member, and columnar members extending between the top and bottom members. In such arrangements, the first panel can include a plurality of vertically oriented slots formed into top and bottom surfaces thereof, and the building element can also include one or more insertion plates inserted into one or more of the plurality of vertically oriented slots, wherein the one or more insertion plates are attached to the structural steel frame to couple the first panel to the structural steel frame. In such arrangements, the building element can further include one or more base plates coupled to one or more of the columnar members and to one or more of the insertion plates inserted into one or more vertically oriented slots along the bottom of the first panel, wherein the one or more base plates are configured to couple the integrated panel assembly to a separate building component of the overall building. Such an integrated panel assembly can be an integrated wall panel assembly and the separate building component can be a foundation of the overall building.
In various further embodiments of the present disclosure, a building panel configured to form a portion of an overall building can include a 3D-printed structure and one or more coupling features formed therein. The 3D-printed structure can be formed by 3D printing technology using a photocurable composite material. The 3D-printed structure can be integrally formed and can includes an outer frame shell defining a geometric shape having an interior outer surface, an exterior outer surface, and side edges between the interior outer surface and exterior outer surface, and an infill structure within the outer frame shell, the infill structure forming internal cavities within the outer frame shell. The one or more coupling features can be configured to facilitate coupling the 3D-printed structure to one or more separate building components of the overall building.
In various detailed embodiments, the building panel can also include a load transfer system formed from non-3D-printed material and coupled to the 3D-printed structure. The load transfer system can be configured to transfer loads across the 3D-printed structure, and the 3D-printed structure and the load transfer system can combine to form a 3D-printed integrated panel. The load transfer system can include a structural steel frame including a top frame member, a bottom frame member spaced apart from the top frame member, and columnar members extending between the top and bottom members. In some arrangements, the one or more coupling features formed in the 3D-printed structure can include a plurality of vertically oriented slots formed into top and bottom surfaces thereof, and the building panel can further include one or more insertion plates inserted into one or more vertically oriented slots. Such one or more insertion plates can be attached to the structural steel frame to couple the 3D-printed structure to the structural steel frame. The building panel can also include one or more base plates coupled to one or more of the columnar members and to one or more of the insertion plates inserted into one or more vertically oriented slots along the bottom of the 3D-printed structure, and the one or more base plates can be configured to couple the 3D-printed integrated panel to a separate building component of the overall building.
In further detailed embodiments, the interior outer surface, the exterior outer surface, or both can be covered by one or more finishing coatings. The building panel can also include a thermal insulation material disposed within at least some of the internal cavities. Also, the 3D-printed structure can have a width of about 1 to 12 feet, a height of about 8 to 12 feet, and a thickness of about 1 to 12 inches. In some arrangements, the outer frame shell of the 3D-printed structure can define a geometric shape that is straight between the side edges to form a straight panel. In some arrangements, the outer frame shell of the 3D-printed structure can define a geometric shape that is complex between the side edges to form a complex panel. Such a complex panel can define a complex geometric shape that is curved, wavy, round-cornered, or square-cornered.
Other apparatuses, methods, features, and advantages of the disclosure will be or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional apparatuses, methods, features and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
The included drawings are for illustrative purposes and serve only to provide examples of possible features, structures, arrangements, systems, and methods for creating 3D-printed integrated wall panels and assemblies. It will be understood that various aspects and features of the disclosed embodiments may be shown in exaggerated or enlarged form to facilitate understanding such that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. These drawings in no way limit any changes in form and detail that may be made to the disclosure by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Exemplary applications of apparatuses, systems, and methods according to the present disclosure are described in this section. These examples are being provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the disclosure. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details provided herein. In some instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the present disclosure. Other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the description and in which are shown, by way of illustration, specific embodiments of the present disclosure. Although these embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, it is understood that these examples are not limiting, such that other embodiments may be used, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
The present disclosure generally relates to structures, arrangements, systems, and methods for forming wall panels and assemblies that reduce or eliminate the use of concrete and other conventional construction materials. The disclosed embodiments involve scaling 3D printing technologies in civil engineering and architectural practice to achieve advantages in producing building elements, segments, or assemblies of complex geometries that can withstand required loads without expensive methods of reinforcing these structures on-site or during the assembly process. Another advantage of the disclosed 3D-printed wall panels and assemblies is the ability to withstand loads during various manufacturing processes like pouring high-density foams into the wall structure to increase overall insulating power of resistance to heat flow.
As noted above, three primary existing concerns in construction technologies include structural performance and reinforcement of building structures and elements, process reliability and limitations, and regulatory challenges. Again, these concerns are all generally related to 3D printing with concrete. Concrete mixtures typically cannot be used for load-bearing walls without reinforcement, since as a structural material concrete provides compressive strength but not tensile strength. Conventional load-bearing concrete can only be used with reinforcement, usually steel rebar. Such steel rebars are typically installed manually but are not connected to any concrete printed shell. To achieve optimal performance of a concrete wall structure and steel bar reinforcement arrangement, contractors typically add concrete aggregates inside the shell structure, which makes it impossible to automate the reinforcement process.
Another challenge for 3D printing processes with concrete is that conventional steel reinforcement is challenging to incorporate into the 3D printing process. There are some efforts that use alternative reinforcements and types of cement using basalt and other materials, although these may be considered inferior. Another disadvantage of using concrete in 3D printing is that it takes long periods of time for concrete to solidify or otherwise cure and gain the required strength. Such materials generally cannot meet performance requirements requiring the material to rapidly solidify in a short period of time. Even though the speed of solidification can be increased by changing the concrete formulation, such an increase is usually limited or difficult to control and makes 3D printing impractical for certain circumstances such as constructing a building on a construction site.
In order to support additional layers, a 3D printing process involving concrete must be stopped to allow lower layers to cure to the necessary strength, which can take hours or even days in some cases. Breaks are also necessary to pour concrete aggregate inside the printed shell without breaking it to ensure proper reinforcement. The higher the wall, the more chance that poured concrete breaks the wall structure during the curing process. Printing breaks have a significant impact on mechanical performance, causing so-called cold joints where the layers do not adhere properly and layer delamination occurs.
In many common use cases for concrete as a material for the 3D printing of buildings and building components, the wall is a combination of a 3D-printed concrete shell, poured concrete aggregate, and steel reinforcement. There is little room left for thermal insulation, which can only be applied to the outside of the wall (either interior or exterior)-a process that is hard to automate and requires additional time and materials. Another challenge is that without additional support structures, only vertical walls and domed roofs can be printed. 3D printing concrete-based formulations have a long curing and strength gain time, such that an entire object cannot be completed in a single print cycle. Limitation in vertical extrusion (layer-by-layer) requires additional manual work to create support for overhangs. Printing of complex infill structures (i.e., internal structures of a 3D-printed part) or freeform architectural features from concrete is generally not possible.
Cracking and reduction in fracture resistance are known issues for 3D-printed concrete building structures. 3D-printed concrete accelerates the evaporation of water, which increases shrinkage and the risk of cracking due to the lack of formwork to protect against air exposure. Environmental factors such as hydrostatic pressure and temperature can weaken the mechanical properties of extruded concrete and lead to unevenness. Companies utilizing concrete as a material for 3D printing usually use 3D printers at the construction site because concrete blocks are too heavy to transport. The use of prefab structures is not reasonable with each project requiring complex setup/calibration of the printer on-site, as well as greatly limiting the locations where 3D printing technology can be deployed.
These disadvantages of 3D printing using concrete can be eliminated by using a composite material that hardens under the influence of ultraviolet (“UV”) light. A photopolymer composite material construction material combines properties of a polymer matrix and inorganic fillers, which have a dense, non-porous structure. The material comprises a base photopolymer, ensuring layers chemically adhere to each other during the printing process. With the layer-by-layer deposition of the material in the 3D printing process, each new curable layer can be firmly fixed to the previous one due to the chemical adhesion between the liquid and cured polymer matrix. The photopolymer composite material forms a solid monolithic structure with layer-by-layer curing. Polymer and inorganic parts of the compound act synergistically, the polymer matrix provides high compressive strength, as well as coats the filler particles, protecting them against aggressive environmental exposures (moisture, acids, alkali, etc.). Further, the presence of inorganic components decreases the plasticity of the photopolymer composite, resulting in higher tensile strength. Further details regarding such 3D printing construction can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,267,913 and 11,230,615, which are incorporated by reference herein.
The use of modern composite materials for 3D printing in the construction industry can achieve several goals that improve the construction process in general, such as reducing construction waste, significantly reducing construction process times, and allowing for the creation of a variety of building components. All materials used in 3D printing building components and structures made from such materials should and can still meet certain requirements for performance, serviceability, operation, and safety to the same extent as all other traditional building materials. The 3D printed construction structure should and can comply with the same construction standards as the traditional built building and modules. In addition, performance requirements for the 3D-printed building materials are also determined by their response to external factors such as wind pressure, air tightness, water tightness, thermal efficiency, sound insulation, and fire resistance. A 3D-printed structure intended for construction should and can be resistant to axial and transverse loads (structural load-bearing capacity). A structure printed on a 3D printer should be fire-resistant to withstand heat and open flame from an external source. It should also be thermally resistant to the transfer of heat through the material or structure, as well as to the penetration of water vapor through the material. The 3D-printed structure should also prevent sound waves from permeating through the material or structure and resist air leakage and water penetration through the structure under air pressure difference.
The present disclosure involves building panelized systems including 3D-printed panels that are engineered to meet specific performance requirements, such as varying panel thickness to affect structural performance, core materials, and 3D-printed infill structure to affect thermal efficiency, rigidity, and strength, and panel shape to meet a variety of design requirements. This adaptability allows for customized performance for a wide range of end-use applications. The 3D-printed wall panels and assemblies disclosed herein are designed as non-load-bearing exterior wall cladding that can withstand wind loads of up to 200 mph and are resilient to wind-borne debris impact and heavy rain. The steel frame supporting the 3D-printed panel absorbs and distributes all other types of loads and can be designed for a variety of end-use applications and seismic conditions. The disclosed wall panels and assemblies meet the energy efficiency requirements of Green Homebuilding and have a variable thickness and insulation core, allowing the product to be used in a wide range of climatic zones around the world. The thermal resistance value (e.g., R-value) of the panels can vary from R-19 to R-38 depending on the panel design. Assembly of 3D-printed wall panels also ensures that the building envelopes are impermeable to water or air infiltration. Furthermore, the disclosed 3D-printed wall panels can involve customizable designs having satisfactory acoustic behaviors (expressed in terms of sound reduction index Rw) that meet requirements imposed by current building regulations.
Use of the disclosed building panelized components, assemblies, and systems in construction can significantly save overall time and costs by reducing the time required for installation of external surface decorative protective layers, preparatory painting, and decorating of panel internal surfaces. As a result, the costs of developing construction labor and their performance can be drastically reduced.
The present disclosure relates in various embodiments to structures of the building elements which are produced by means of additive manufacturing (i.e., 3D printing) processes. Formulation of the polymer composite used in the 3D printing process can take the place of cement, wood, steel, drywall, and other structural materials to form foundations, structural support members, floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, and other structural elements. In some arrangements, various building elements and sub-structures can be 3D-printed in a modular fashion at one location and then assembled at a construction site at a later time.
Various disclosed embodiments can include a wall panel configured for attachment to the surface of a building, said wall panel comprising exterior and interior members, and a plurality of cross-members formed by the sequential layering of a polymer composite material using a 3D printing system with a photocurable composition. In particular, the disclosed embodiments can utilize an extrusion-based 3D printing process of wall systems and building elements of a wide variety of sizes and complex shapes, such as linear, corner, curved, and the like, with specially formulated composite polymer materials having material properties that meet or exceed standard building codes. The material used for the 3D printing process may be a composite material that includes a specialized photocurable composition polymer formulation embedded with functional fillers or/and continuous fiber reinforcement.
In various detailed examples, which are merely illustrative and non-limiting in nature, a 3D printing manufacturing process can involve a layer-by-layer extrusion process where each layer is dynamically cured by exposure to UV light or another curing initiator. The disclosed embodiments can include high-strength structural members of the wall panel comprising continuous fiber reinforcement which secures the layers of the panels against brittle failure. Such an approach may be applied to producing geometrically complex components for building large-scale structures such as building elements and buildings with innovative customized designs. Fiber reinforcement can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of the 3D-printed parts as well as impact the strength of the composite materials and can also reduce material usage and cost. In some arrangements, a printed wall structure can include a core shell structure with fiber strand(s) distributed around a central axis across each deposited layer in the longitudinal direction.
In various embodiments, panels can be factory-assembled 3D-printed polymer-based composite panels with a polyurethane foam insulation. Such panels can be 3D-printed with an acrylate polymer combined with inorganic fillers and can be reinforced with continuous fibers deposited longitudinally within each printed layer. Layers of the composite panel can create a closed, hollow shell, which can then be injected with polyurethane foam in the factory. The panels can be attached to load-bearing structural steel frame assemblies.
A 3D-printed composite wall panel supported by steel or timber-braced frame members can be used to construct a wall or wall system. The wall can be printed in such a way that the structure includes a pair of side extrusions at the respective side edges of the wall. Each side edge can be used as a connector for sequential connections of the wall structures to form a building envelope. Connections between panels can include mechanical connectors, chemical adhesives, and/or any other suitable connector. A mechanical attachment system can include a plurality of locking members secured directly to the surface of the 3D-printed wall panels, while chemical adhesives can include two-component epoxy glue or other substances providing high adhesion strength to the printed surfaces and excellent tensile performance.
Although various embodiments disclosed herein discuss residential and commercial buildings, it will be readily appreciated that the disclosed features, apparatuses, systems, and methods can similarly be used for sheds, storage units, industrial buildings, garages, and many other types of building and building components. For example, the disclosed features and embodiments can be used to construct a portion of an industrial factory. Furthermore, while wall panels and wall panel assemblies are primarily discussed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that the disclosed embodiments can also be applicable to other portions of buildings, such as floors, ceilings, roofs, stairwells, ramps, and the like. Other applications, arrangements, and extrapolations beyond the illustrated embodiments are also contemplated.
Referring first to
Each 3D-printed wall panel 101, 102, 103, 104 can be formed by 3D printing technology using a photocurable composite material. Some or all of these 3D-printed wall panels 101, 102, 103, 104 can be integrally formed and can include an outer frame shell defining a geometric shape having an interior outer surface, an exterior outer surface, and side edges between the interior and exterior outer surfaces, and an infill structure within the outer frame shell, with the infill structure forming internal cavities within the outer frame shell, as set forth in greater detail below. While each of wall panels 101, 102, 103, 104 are noted and described as being wall panels for purposes of discussion, it will be understood that such panels can also form other building portions or components besides walls in other arrangements.
Load transfer components 105 can include, for example, one or more hollow structural section (“HSS”) columns, a set of tension transmitting members that can be pinned diagonally (e.g., structural steel X-bracing), and/or any other items suitable for load transfer. 3D-printed wall panels 101, 102, 103, 104 can be attached or otherwise coupled to each other with one or more panel connectors 106, which can include mechanical connectors located toward the tops of the walls, for example. The bottom part of each 3D-printed wall panel 101, 102, 103, 104 can be attached or otherwise coupled to a building foundation 10 by one or more base plates 107 or any other suitable connectors. 3D-printed integrated wall panel assembly 100 can also include other types of connectors, as well as other components and features, as detailed below.
Although 3D-printed integrated wall panel assembly 100 is shown as having three straight wall panels 101, 102, 103, and one corner wall panel 104 for purposes of illustration, it will be readily appreciated that more or fewer straight wall panels and/or more or fewer corner wall panels can be used in a given integrated wall panel assembly. Other types and shapes of wall panels can also or alternatively be used for a given 3D-printed integrated wall panel assembly. Furthermore, each wall panel can have the same or variable widths. For example, straight wall panels 101 and 103 are shown as having widths of six wall panel segments, while straight wall panel 102 is shown as having a width of three wall panel segments. More or fewer wall panel segments may also be used.
Referring next to
3D-printed straight wall panel 200 can include internal surface 201 and external surface 202 on a single 3D-printed polymer-based composite panel. In some embodiments, external surface 202 can have various decorative elements integrally formed therewith as created by a 3D printer during printing of the entire panel 200, although such decorative elements might not have any structural or functional load bearing abilities. Since the use of 3D printing technology allows the creation of panels with complex cross-sectional geometries, 3D-printed straight wall panel 200 can be printed to form a parapet 203 at the top of the panel. 3D-printed straight wall panel 200 can also include a main body 204 that can be 3D-printed with the formation of double-layered infills 205 along the entire length of the panel and quadruple-layered infills 206 located proximate the top and bottom of the panel main body. 3D-printed straight wall panel 200 can also have one or more side extrusions located along one or more side edges 207 of the panel that form vertical decorative ledges configured to bridge juncture regions between adjacent panels, to cover columnar members from the exterior, or both.
One or both of 3D-printed integrated outside corner wall panel 300a and 3D-printed integrated inside corner wall panel 300b can also have a load transfer system formed from non-3D-printed material and coupled to its respective 3D-printed structure. Such a load transfer system can be configured to transfer loads across the 3D-printed structure, and the 3D-printed structure and the load transfer system can combine to form the 3D-printed integrated panel. Such a load transfer system can include, for example, structural steel frame 305a for 3D-printed integrated outside corner wall panel 300a or structural steel frame 305b for 3D-printed integrated inside corner wall panel 300b. Structural steel frame 305b can include top frame member 306b, one or more bottom frame members such as base plates 304b, and columnar members 307b that can extend proximate to and along side edges 303b to couple the top and bottom frame members. Structural steel frame 305a can have similar top frame, bottom frame, and columnar members arranged to fit the geometry of 3D-printed integrated outside corner wall panel 300a. One or more frame connectors 308 can couple a frame member to a respective 3D-printed structure, a separate component of the overall building, or both, as detailed below.
While 3D-printed corner wall panels 300a, 300b have been shown and described as integrated wall panels having a 3D-printed structure and a load transfer system formed from non-3D-printed material, it will be appreciated that some 3D-printed corner wall panels may be formed without such a load transfer system. Similarly, 3D-printed straight wall panel 200 can be a standalone 3D-printed structure as shown and described above or can be combined with one or more load transfer components and/or one or more connectors to form a 3D-printed integrated straight wall panel, various details for which are illustrated in
Each of the foregoing straight and corner wall panels can have a 3D-printed structure that includes an infill structure located within its outer shell. By applying an optimized or varied infill structure, various structural properties of a given 3D-printed structure can be modified or controlled. This can include structural rigidity, for example, among other structural properties. Continuing with
As shown in
3D-printed straight wall panel 400b of
As shown in
Under leeward wind loading, destruction of wall panels can occur along one or more features (such as slots) formed to support a load transfer component (such as a steel frame) located at an interior part of the wall panel, examples of which are provided below. This can make wall panel performance under wind load resistant to temperature extremes and adverse weather conditions, among other factors. By varying the structure and the contact area of the infill with the outer frame shell of the wall panel, it is possible to increase the performance of the wall panel under wind load. Various types of infill can be used for this purpose. One type of infill 405 is shown in
A 3D-printed infill structure within an outer frame shell of a 3D-printed wall panel can also act as thermal bridging due to the thermal conductivity of the composite material being approximately 10-17 times higher than that of air or thermal insulation. The thermal bridge formed by an infill can allow heat to “short circuit” insulation. The use of 3D printing technology makes it possible to modify an infill structure and reduce the effect of the thermal bridging efficiency of a 3D-printed wall panel as may be desired for given situations.
Further aspects of the present disclosure can involve various connections and other couplings between variations of the disclosed embodiments, as well as connections and other couplings between the disclosed embodiments and traditional building components such as window frames, door frames, traditional wall segments, and the like. Transitioning now to
One or more waterproofing components 708 can be placed between and/or coupled to side edges 705 of the 3D-printed integrated straight wall panels 701, 702. Each 3D-printed integrated straight wall panel 701, 702 can also include one or more load transfer components, such as one or more columnar members 709 that can form part of a steel frame or other load transfer system. One or more panel connectors (not shown) can couple 3D-printed integrated straight wall panels 701, 702 together (e.g., panel connector 106 as shown in
In some embodiments, the interior outer surfaces of 3D-printed integrated straight wall panel 901 and 3D-printed integrated outside corner wall panel 902 can be separated from an interior region of an associated building by a separate interior frame wall assembly cladded with gypsum wallboard as represented by the dashed line in
Referring next to
Structural frame 1101 can include top frame member 1102 arranged horizontally and two or more columnar members 1103 members arranged vertically and coupled to the top frame member at their top ends by way of one or more frame member connectors 1104. Top frame member 1102 and columnar members 1103 can be HSS components formed from steel, for example. Each columnar member 1103 can be coupled at its lower end to a base plate 1105, which can also be formed from steel, and which can be configured to couple the 3D-printed integrated straight wall panel 1100 to a separate building component of the overall building, such as a foundation, for example. One or more columnar members 1103 or other structural frame components can have a connection feature 1106 configured for on-site hauling. In some embodiments, one or more tension transmitting members 1107, such as structural steel X-bracing, for example, can be provided to facilitate resistance to seismic loads and to stabilize the overall integrated assembly.
In various embodiments, the one or more flat insertion plates 1204 and one or more rolled angle insertion plates 1205 can be formed from steel, although other suitable materials are also possible. One or more silicone rubber inserts 1206 can be inserted into the coupling features 1203 along with the flat insertion plates 1204 and rolled angle insertion plates 1205 for better grip between the insertion plates and the wall panel body 1201. One or more dimensions of coupling features 1203 formed in the wall panel body 1201 can be selected taking into account various factors, such as the difference in the coefficient of linear thermal expansion of the 3D-printed panel material, the insertion plate material, and/or the silicone rubber insert material. In accordance with some conditions, the depth of each vertically oriented slot, U-shaped groove, or other coupling feature can be at least 7/16 inches greater than the length of a steel flat insertion plate or steel rolled angle insertion plate.
Structural frame 1202 can include a top frame member 1207, such as, for example a steel HSS column, that can be coupled to each flat insertion plate 1204, which can be a steel plate that is welded, glued, bolted, or otherwise coupled to the top frame member. Structural frame 1202 can also include one or more bottom frame members 1210 that can be coupled to one or more rolled angle insertion plates 1205 and two columnar members (not shown), which can be HSS columns 1103 as shown in
In various embodiments, a rim track 1208 can form a connector that can be coupled to top frame member 1207 or another load transfer component and can be configured to couple to a separate floor component or a separate roof component of the overall building. Rim track 1208 can be a horizontally slotted rim track made of light gauge steel that can connect top frame member 1207, top ends of the columnar members, or one or more other structural frame members for the purpose of securing roof joist assemblies. Such joist assemblies can be framed in place with rim track 1208. Movements caused by a normal wall and roof movement, such as compression or extension, can be handled by a roof joist assembly connected to structural steel frame elements via the rim track design.
One or more anchor bolts or other coupling components 1209 can be inserted into one or more base plates 1210 at the bottom of each column of structural frame 1202. These anchor bolts or other coupling components 1209 can securely attach or otherwise couple 3D-printed integrated wall panel 1200 to a separate foundation 1211 of the overall building. Horizontal joining along the bottom of 3D-printed integrated wall panel 1200 can be sealed by way of one or more waterproofing components 1212 fitted between the wall panel and foundation 1211.
In various embodiments, some or all portions of a 3D-printed integrated wall panel or wall panel assembly can be assembled remotely within a factory or other relevant location, with any remaining portions and connections being made on site during construction of an overall building. For example, a 3D-printed panel can be 3D printed remotely, vertically oriented slots, U-shaped grooves, or other coupling features can be milled into the 3D-printed panel remotely, and various flat insertion plates, rolled angle insertion plates, and silicone rubber inserts can be inserted into the coupling features remotely. One or more connectors and/or one or more load transfer components, such as a support frame, can be coupled to the 3D-printed panel remotely, and/or such items can be coupled to the 3D-printed panel at a job site. Connections to other 3D-printed panels can be made remotely and/or at the job site, and finally connections to other separate building components of the overall building can be made remotely and/or at the job site.
Although the foregoing disclosure has been described in detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity and understanding, it will be recognized that the above described disclosure may be embodied in numerous other specific variations and embodiments without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the disclosure. Certain changes and modifications may be practiced, and it is understood that the disclosure is not to be limited by the foregoing details, but rather is to be defined by the scope of the appended claims.
