3D printing with cementitious materials: Challenges and opportunities for the construction sector

This review article includes a description of additive manufacturing from its advantages and opportunities for the construction sector, highlighting the definition of a design methodology for cementitious material mixes suitable for 3D printing and the properties required of them. Included among the materials analyzed are conventional ones based on Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and non-conventional ones, with alkali-activated materials (geopolymers) to the fore. In United States, Europe and Asia this technology has interesting construction projects, however, in Latin America, 3D printing is still in the experimental phase, so it can be considered as a technology that is in the process of being adopted. The results obtained in the development and research phase in different countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, among others, are promising and it is projected as an industrial reality in the near future. This paper presents the main challenges and opportunities in implementing additive manufacturing. [Display omitted] •3D technology could be considered to solve the current housing deficit in countries.•Locally available materials, native clays and soils, can be used in 3D printing.•Supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) and geopolymers can also be used.•3D printing must be recognized as a construction method by the construction codes.