Aerial additive building manufacturing: three-dimensional printing of polymer structures using drones
File(s)jcoma.17.00013.pdf (1.85 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This paper describes the first aerial additive building manufacturing system developed to create and repair civil engineering structures remotely using polymers extruded from unmanned aerial robots (drones). The structural potential of three commercially available expanding polyurethane foams of varying density (LD40, Reprocell 300 and Reprocell 500), and their feasibility for deposition using an autonomous flying dual-syringe device is described. Test specimens consisting of one and two layers, with horizontal and vertical interfaces, were mechanically tested both parallel and perpendicular to the direction of expansion. LD40 specimens exhibited ductile failure in flexural tests and provided evidence that the interfaces between layers were not necessarily regions of weaknesses. Hand-mixed specimens of Reprocell 500 possessed compressive strengths comparable to those of concrete and flexural strengths similar to those of the lower range of timber, though they exhibited brittle failure. There are challenges to be faced with matching the performance of hand-mixed specimens using an autonomous dual-syringe deposition device, primarily concerning the rheological properties of the material following extrusion. However, the device successfully imported and deposited two liquid components, of varying viscosity, and maintained correct mixing ratios. This work has demonstrated the structural and operational feasibility of polyurethane foam as a viable structural material for remote three-dimensional printing using drones.
Date Issued
2020-02-01
Date Acceptance
2017-07-13
Citation
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Construction Materials, 2020, 173 (1), pp.3-14
ISSN
1747-650X
Publisher
ICE Publishing
Start Page
3
End Page
14
Journal / Book Title
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Construction Materials
Volume
173
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
© Published with permission by the ICE under the CC-BY 4.0 license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Sponsor
Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC)
The Royal Society
EPSRC
Grant Number
EP/N018494/1
RSWF/R1/180003
EP/N018494/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Construction & Building Technology
materials technology
resins & plastics
strength & testing of materials
CHALLENGES
0905 Civil Engineering
0912 Materials Engineering
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2017-07-14