Projects per year
Organisation profile
Introduction / mission
The chair of Structural Design of Concrete Structures provides education aiming to design safe concrete (and masonry) structures, carries out research and pursues strategic internal and external collaborations. The results are published in high quality scientific journals. The chair addresses structural design from a value chain type of perspective. Design, manufacturing and assembling are considered in an integral manner with a focus on innovation to work on a digital transition. Digital technologies, on all levels, are needed to improve on both construction productivity and sustainability in the sector. It is our vision that design, manufacturing and assembling should be studied in an integrated and digital manner. This explains why the chair also hosts the certificate program on construction technology.
Organisation profile
The research is focussed on digital design, digital manufacturing and digital assembling (D3DMA). Digital design is studied on three subsequent levels. On a macro level, the structures of buildings and (small) civil structures like pedestrian bridges are designed using both parametric and generic design tools. Optimisation algorithms, like form finding and topology optimisation are incorporated to safe on natural resources and explore new shapes, always bearing the construction technology in mind. On a meso level concrete components like slabs and walls are studied numerically. Parametric design tools are being developed, based on strut and tie analysis, yield lines and the stringer panel methods. Finally, on a micro scale, discrete FEM analyses are used to study e.g. the pull-out behaviour of reinforcement and fibres. All types of analyses are supported with fundamental experimental research for matters of verification. Finally, digital manufacturing is treated in the certificate program on construction technology.
Concrete printing
All of the above-mentioned research topics come together in the research on 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP). A unique large-scale print facility has been realised and is allocated in the Structures Laboratory. The research on 3DCP comprises three goals.
The first goal is to work on the robustness of the print process itself. The materials properties of fresh concrete are studied experimentally, and the results are embedded in a finite element analysis to predict the maximum print speed to avoid (plastic) yield strains or overall instability of the printed structures.
The second goal is to improve on the materials properties by additives like fibres and accelerators and innovative types of structural reinforcement. Fibres and other additives are embedded with a special device developed at TU/e near the printer nozzle, just prior to extruding the concrete filaments. This allows for future optimization to functionally graded structures since not only concrete can be places where it is needed most, but also the concrete quality and functionality can be adjusted on demand on every position of the structure in an industrial and controlled manner. Another tool has been developed to automatically embed a reinforcement wire and research is performed to further improve this system. The third level of research is to monitor the print process by (non-destructive) sensors using e.g. ultra sound and optic eyes and work towards printers with algorithms based on deep learning (AI).
The output of recent research is already being applied in real projects, in close collaboration with industrial partners. So far, a cycling bridge has been printed, a second one is in a research phase and the first out of five houses of project Milestone will be ready for the inhabitants in June 2019. More information on 3DCP and the projects can be found on the site: TUe.nl/3DConcretePrinting.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Profiles
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Zeeshan Y. Ahmed
- Built Environment, Architectural Design and Engineering - Former Doctoral Candidate
- Built Environment, Concrete Structures - Former Doctoral Candidate
Person: Prom. : doctoral candidate (PhD)
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Gabi Bertram
- Built Environment, Concrete Structures - University Lecturer
Person: OWP : University Teacher / Researcher
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ReCreate
Wijte, S. N. M. (Project Manager), Pauwels, P. (Project member), Matthews, B. (Project member), Scalbi, A. (Project member), Lambrechts, T. (Project member), Mudge, F. (Project member), Schröder, T. W. A. (Project member), Teuffel, P. M. (Project member), Dajsuren, Y. (Project member) & Vacancy PD (Project member)
1/04/21 → 30/09/25
Project: Third tier
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High Performance 3D Concrete Printing - Systematic Development of a Printable Strain-Hardening Cementitious Composite for Structural Purposes.
Nefs, K. (Project member), van Overmeir, A. L. (Project communication officer), Salet, T. A. M. (Project communication officer), Suiker, A. S. J. (Project communication officer), Šavija, B. (Project communication officer), Schlangen, E. (Project communication officer), Lamers, H. M. (Project member) & Salet, T. A. M. (Project Manager)
1/10/19 → 30/09/23
Project: Research direct
Research output
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Additive manufacturing of functional concrete: Lightweight mortar with cork & local composition control
Skroumpelou, G., 15 Apr 2025, Eindhoven: Technische Universiteit Eindhoven.Research output: Thesis › EngD Thesis
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Clay-gypsum mortars: The influence of binder and sand ratios
Rocha, D. (Corresponding author), Faria, P. & Lucas, S. S., Jun 2025, In: Results in Engineering. 26, 13 p., 104702.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)7 Downloads (Pure) -
Data-driven additive manufacturing with concrete: Enhancing in-line sensory data with domain knowledge, Part I: Geometry
Versteege, J., Wolfs, R. J. M. (Corresponding author) & Salet, T. A. M., Apr 2025, In: Automation in Construction. 172, 13 p., 106020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
Open AccessFile25 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Salad Slicer: An open-source slicer toolkit for 3D concrete printing
Deetman, A. (Creator), Bos, D. (Creator), Ferguson, M. (Creator) & Versteege, J. (Creator), Zenodo, 11 Apr 2023
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7818241, https://zenodo.org/record/7818241 and one more link, https://zenodo.org/records/10030229 (show fewer)
Dataset
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GCMMA-MMA-Python: Python implementation of the Method of Moving Asymptotes
Deetman, A. (Contributor), Zenodo, 13 Oct 2019
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13197565, http://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13197565
Dataset
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GCMMA-MMA-Python: Python implementation of the Method of Moving Asymptotes
Deetman, A. (Contributor), Zenodo, 18 Aug 2024
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13337495, https://zenodo.org/records/13337495
Dataset
Prizes
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Additive manufacturing of functional construction materials on-demand
Lucas, S. S. (Recipient), Yu, Q. L. (Recipient) & Brouwers, H. J. H. (Recipient), 18 Nov 2019
Prize: NWO › Other › Scientific
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Additive manufacturing of sustainable concrete for zero-energy buildings
Lucas, S. S. (Recipient), Yu, Q. L. (Recipient) & Brouwers, H. J. H. (Recipient), 2019
Prize: NWO › Other › Scientific
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Best Proceedings Paper
Bos, F. P. (Recipient), 12 Sept 2018
Prize: Other › Career, activity or publication related prizes (lifetime, best paper, poster etc.) › Scientific
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Francesco Soave
Wolfs, R. J. M. (Host)
Feb 2025 → Jun 2025Activity: Hosting a visitor types › Hosting an academic visitor › Scientific
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On-Line and In-Line Quality Assessment across all Scale Levels of 3D Concrete Printing
Wolfs, R. J. M. (Keynote speaker)
4 Sept 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Plenary talk › Scientific
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The status quo of 3D concrete printing: are we there yet?
Wolfs, R. J. M. (Keynote speaker)
10 Apr 2024Activity: Talk or presentation types › Keynote talk › Scientific
Press/Media
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Een blik in de (nabije) toekomst van 3D-betonprinten
1/12/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Een huis 3d-printen: toekomst van de woningbouw
7/03/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Public Engagement Activities
Student theses
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3D concrete printing: The applicability of different characterization methods to determine the mechanical material properties of 3D printable pastes with various aggregates and fibers
Dorresteijn, E. (Author), Bos, F. P. (Supervisor 1), Chaves Figueiredo, S. (Supervisor 2) & Salet, T. A. M. (Supervisor 2), 26 Apr 2022Student thesis: Master
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3D concrete printing: research and development of a structural reinforcement system for 3D printing with concrete
Jutinov, E. R. (Author), Salet, T. A. M. (Supervisor 1), Bos, F. P. (Supervisor 2) & Ahmed, Z. Y. (Supervisor 2), 31 Oct 2017Student thesis: Master
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3MO-TION: 3DCP movement and circulation
Zambotti, A. (Author), Kuit, B. (Supervisor 1), van Hoof, S. (Supervisor 2) & Ahmed, Z. (Supervisor 2), 30 Apr 2019Student thesis: Master
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