Digital Construction

Digital Construction is the innovation driven design, engineering and 3D-concrete printing department of Witteveen+Bos. We implement the concept of Industry 4.0 in Architecture, Engineering and Construction.

With Digital Construction we implement the current trend of automation and data exchange in the construction industry. Examples of what Witteveen+Bos currently is working on are; Digital Design such as 3D-7D BIM (Building Information Management), precast/prefabrication of building structures and automation of construction processes by using for example 3D-concrete printing for the construction of buildings. Witteveen+Bos has built up it's experience in 3D-concrete printing since 2015 and has over 15 years of experience in digitised information management (BIM) of building and large scaled infrastructure projects. Witteveen+Bos can be considered as an early adopter in 3D-concrete printing.

Partner in TU/e research programme

Witteveen+Bos is partner in the 3D-Concrete Printing research programme at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The goal of the TU/e 3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) research programme is to establish concrete printing as a viable new method to manufacture concrete elements and buildings, and to fundamentally understand its processes.  The research group operates and develops its own 3D Concrete Printer at the Department of the Built Environment. The printer consists of a four axis gantry robot with a print bed of approximately 9.0×4.5×3 m, coupled with a concrete mixing pump, both controlled by a numerical controller. As partner Witteveen+Bos has an active role in defining the research programme and works closely with other frontrunners in the 3DCP industry. The research programme is one of the most prominent 3D-concrete printing research programs worldwide.

Our services

Smart Design for Manufacturing:

  • Parametric design
  • Computational designs
  • Generative designs

 

Robotic Fabrication:

  • Feasibility studies
  • Printable concepts
  • Engineering
  • Implementation
  • Standards and guidelines
  • 3D-Concrete printing systems

 

Digital Platforms & Software:

  • Common data environments
  • BIM management systems
  • Design to fabrication software

Witteveen+Bos develops custom made 3D-Concrete Printing software solutions. Many 3D-concrete printing software solutions are only suitable for one type of robotic system, or are too generic and therefore too complex to use. Therefore, we develop custom software solutions that meets your needs and activities. Making your design-to-fabrication workflow as efficient and easy as possible, is our goal.

Our solutions provide a seamless workflow from design to fabrication with full flexibilities and adaptabilities in a user-friendly matter. It consists of custom built-in components that facilitate the planning and execution of the robotic fabrication process embedded in a parametric design environment.

Our software is able to generated robot codes that can be loaded directly on robot controllers, such as G-Code for Siemens Sinumerik, Rapid code for ABB robotic arm, KUKA robot language for KUKA robotic arm.

We have developed customized 3D-Concrete Printing software solutions for several clients worldwide, including:

  • Besix 3D (Dubai)
  • Housing and Development Board (Singapore)
  • Siam Cement Group (Thailand)
  • Dubox (Dubai)

One of the focus areas of the Digital Construction team is the development of applications for robots in the construction industry. In close collaboration with contractors, suppliers and others we use our knowledge to digitalize their problems. We believe in an agile approach to make small steps based on the latest insights.

One of our solutions includes a software workflow for pick and place execution by robotics, with application purpose in for example brick-laying.

Our projects

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