Fieldable Platform for Large-Scale Deposition of Concrete Structures
By:
Chesser, Phillip C; Post, Brian K; Roschli, Alex C; Lind, Randall F; Boulger, Alex M; Love, Lonnie J; Gaul, Katherine T
Book Title:
Proceedings of the 29th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium
Publication Date:
January 26, 2024
Publisher Location:
University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States of America
Conference Name:
29th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium
Conference Location:
Austin, Texas, United States of America
Conference Sponsor:
University of Texas at Austin
Abstract
Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility is developing a novel, large-scale additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, system. The Sky Big Area Additive Manufacturing (SkyBAAM) system will ultimately be a fieldable concrete deposition machine with pick and place abilities that will allow for full-scale, automated construction of buildings. The system will be implemented with existing construction equipment meaning conventional cranes will be used to suspend the printhead. SkyBAAM will be cable-driven by four base stations and suspended from a single crane. The elimination of a gantry system, found commonly in large-scale additive manufacturing systems, will enable SkyBAAM to be quickly set up with minimal site preparation. The medium-scale version of SkyBAAM is currently in development. The system design, cable stiffness analysis, and tactics for freezing rotational degrees-of-freedom (DOF), detailed in this paper, will provide a basis for the final, large-scale version of the SkyBAAM system.
