A bold new future for construction materials approaches (Self-forming 4-D skyscrapers?)

New Civil Engineer ^ | December 11, 2013 | Alexandra Wynne

[Hugin]

4d? Are they completed before they are started?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Cue that sound Transformers make when they shape-shift.

[Organic Panic]

We’ll see what the unions have to say about this.

[Paladin2]

"self-repairing bridges"

I'd be all in favor of self repairing pavement.

[Jonty30]

Y-y-y-e-e-s-s-s, I-I-I-I q-q-u-i-i-t-t-t-e-e a-a-a-g-g-g-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-e.

[Vendome]

Kewel

Commercial Lego

[Zeneta]

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

3d printing and more.

[null and void]

Political power grows out of the nozzle of a 3-D Printer.

[roadcat]

Contour crafting, he says, can build with very thick layers of concrete – as thick as brick – and at a pace very much faster than 3D printing now with plastic.

Why not "print" the concrete bricks with bottoms and tops like Lego bricks. Snap them together and you have your house built. And why aren't 3-D printer hobbyists printing objects onto Lego bricks as bases, so that more complex designs can be assembled?

[Patton@Bastogne]

4D is just techno-BS marketing jargon .... just like AutoDesk software

[PA Engineer]

Interesting, but a couple of quotes were to a degree self-serving if not just plane ignorant.

The first was:

Tibbits says that 3D printing is much over hyped – particularly by an overenthusiastic media. Not a view that appears synonymous with visionary, future-seekers, perhaps.

I think he is blinded by his own vision. Additive manufacturing is rapidly meeting up with substantive feedstock. Electrolytic processing is well on the way to giving us an economical method of producing titanium powder. Coupled with additive manufacturing, sintering titanium powder will provide a revolutionary 3D processing capability that is cheaper than aluminum today.

The second claim was the most astounding when he claims:

“You could have products that, if they fail, they repair themselves,”

That is a rather fantastical claim when it comes to materials and oxidation. It reminds me of a Neil Young song (even though it has nothing to do with oxidation):

Hey Hey, My My

Interesting, but disappointing at the same time.

[2ndDivisionVet]

What happens when 3-D and 4-D printing meets graphene?

[4Liberty]

Awesome! :)
But I like Solidworks more than AutoCAD.....

[null and void]

I use CADKey/KeyCreator. No way I could afford AutoCAD or SolidWorks on my own.

Speaking of which, I finally broke down and bought a 3-D printer...

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.

[American Constitutionalist]

Build a concrete wall ? no problem in a little box with the skeleton of it all folded up nicely just add water and it starts to be reconstitute with water and takes shape forms it's self.
Additive manufacturing ?
People making their own auto parts at home with a 3D printer ready to go ?
Ceramics becoming commonplace for car parts that needs to be around heat ?
GE is making certain parts for their new LEAP engine with ceramics and GE is making the jet engine nozzles with 3D printers.
All I gotta say is COOL !

[American Constitutionalist]

Believe it or not they are working now with foam and concrete to create a light weight yet but strong form of concrete.
Now imagion if they can create some metal or carbon fiber lattice work that they could incorparate in with concrete and you'll have a sponge like product that you just add water to.

[American Constitutionalist]

They got 3D printers now making other 3D printers, all though in a crude form.
Machines replicating them selves..... Termanators ? becoming self aware ?