Session: 04-03 Emerging Technologies: New Applications of AM

Paper Number: 93884

93884 - System Architecture and Design Parameters for Extrusion-Based Autonomous Construction Systems 

Autonomous construction systems (ACSs) have become a topic of great interest in recent years in a variety of areas, including design, materials science, architecture, space exploration, natural disaster recover, military operations, and others. Several different approaches have been proposed, the most promising (and so far most widely-applied) one being a large-scale system based on additive manufacturing (or 3-D printing) principles, where a concrete- or asphalt-based material is extruded in layers to produce a structure. This structure may be used as a basic shell around which a useful building, shelter, bridge, extraterrestrial habitat, or other infrastructure can be built or may be able to produce a full building in one operation. This article reviews the current literature on such systems, describing the different types of systems and their origins and application domains, examining their common and differing features, and identifying major areas that need further research. This collected information is then used to propose a general system architecture for extrusion-based ACSs and a set of system design rules and use policies for them. In this review and discussion covers only ACSs that are able to complete construction from a universal or common set of raw materials (for example, concrete, sand, asphalt, and construction-grade epoxy) and excludes systems that only assemble existing panels, bricks, or other pre-prepared building components. This study adds to the state-of-the-art by examining the current literature to identify gaps in need of future work and by combining the existing literature and the expertise of the authors to develop a useful general system architecture and rules for designing useful, efficient, and sustainable ACSs.

Presenting Author: Albert E. Patterson Texas A&M University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Albert E. Patterson is an Assistant Professor of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, at Texas A&M University. He is the director of the TAMU Manufacturability-Driven Design Lab (MDDL) and related research group. He holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering (Manufacturing and Design) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as degrees in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. He has more than 8 years of experience with additive manufacturing (AM) and has over 40 publications on AM, fracture mechanics, design-for-manufacturing, engineering design, systems engineering/autonomous construction systems, and related topics. Dr. Patterson has been a member of ASME for more than 10 years and is an active member of the ASTM committees on AM and fatigue/fracture mechanics. Prior to obtaining his doctorate, he worked for several years as a practicing engineer/analyst with Boeing and the US Department of Defense (Missile Defense Agency).

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