Are robots changing the construction industry?

Throughout history, engineers have sought to understand how structures work and how the forces within a structure move from where the loads are applied to the supports and foundations. This is called structural optimisation – using exactly the amount of material needed in the locations required – a harmonisation between architecture and engineering.

The computer makes seemingly impossible quantities of calculations within minutes (or even seconds), and the opportunities for optimisation increase tremendously. Such advancement fuelled the need to start manufacturing these complex structures using techniques other than those traditionally available.

This is where 3D printing (additive manufacturing) of parts of the structure started being conceived, since this enables the fast production of several different shapes typically not possible through traditional construction. The process of additive manufacturing involves the building up of material layer by layer. It offers an unprecedented freedom of form, resulting in endless possibilities of customisation. The material is exactly where it needs to be to fulfil its function of carrying the loads.

A grid shell is a column-free...