Advanced materials engineering group Versarien plc has announced the completion of the construction phase of a civil engineering project, which leans on 3D printing technology, undertaken with a subsidiary of Costain Group plc.
Versarien worked with Costain to design and produce a 3D printed headwall.
This headwall was designed for highway construction projects as part of the Digital Roads of the Future Partnership. It was led by the University of CambridgeCostain and National HighwaysVersarien is a member of this consortium.
The headwall structures were traditionally made of precast concrete. This required extensive reinforcement from steel and limited the shapes that could be precast. The company developed a curved headwall by using an alkali activated concrete material (AACM), as well as 3D printing technology. This means that the structure is stronger than precast and does not require reinforcement.
Versarien claims that this approach allowed steel to be completely removed from the walls.
A number of sensors were placed in the structure as part of the 3D printing process. The sensors were designed by Cambridge University and are part the National Highways Digital Roads initiative. The data provided includes temperature and movement from the point of printing to the structure’s performance on site.
Neill Ricketts, Chief Executive Officer of Versarien, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Costain to produce this innovative structure that we believe provides significant benefits over those produced using traditional manufacturing techniques. In utilising Versarien’s materials engineering expertise and understanding of the latest techniques, we have highlighted how new technologies can be employed to provide a solution to improve product performance, lower cost and reduce the carbon footprint.
“We believe this represents the first use of 3D construction on a National Highways project and we look forward to the headwall being installed, demonstrating the viability and attractiveness using this technology and Versarien’s know-how on future projects.”
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