3D printing of enclosing structures with polystyrene concrete

Robotization of construction through the use of additive technologies is one of the most promising areas for increasing labor efficiency in the construction industry. The technology of 3D-printing of enclosing structures with polystyrene concrete proposed in the article and protected by a patent allows for the formation of a working layer 70–100 mm thick with insulating material across the entire width of the wall in one pass. Cement-sand mortar with unexpanded beads of suspension polystyrene is fed into the printing head of the 3D-printer. When the solution gets between the electrodes, it quickly heats up by forced electrical heating, to the temperature of polystyrene swelling. Thus, a heat-insulating and structural mixture is formed in the thermal reactor of the print head, from which the working layer of the wall is produced. The studies of the performance characteristics of the obtained material showed its suitability for the enclosing structures of heated buildings and construction in general.