The Institute of Structural Design (ITE) has been working intensively over the years on various research projects concerning the development of construction methods that enable the optimized use of materials in the building industry. An innovative and promising method to change conventional reinforced concrete construction is additive manufacturing for the production of formwork. The technology for 3D concrete printing was developed at the institute in a previous research project (COEBRO) and this technique was applied in the production of a prototype lightweight ceiling with a weight reduction of 35 percent using printed recess formers. In April 2020, the Institute of Structural Design was commissioned to apply this construction method to an approximately 100 square meter rectangular ceiling for a studio room at the Seehof palace in Lunz am See.

The project was composed firstly of a design, developed in cooperation with Hans Kupelwieser, then the complete execution and detailed planning, as well as the implementation of the building project with 130 different 3D printed recess bodies. The semi-finished parts were produced by the Laboratory for Structural Engineering in Inffeldgasse in the Robotics Lab at Graz University of Technology using a new 3D printing system from the company Baumit, using Baumit PrintCret 230N. The parts were installed on the construction site with the expert support of the Gusel company. After an inspiring and somewhat unusual construction phase, the novel construction could be revealed in mid-October. The wide-span ceiling construction is representative of a sustainable attitude towards the use of reinforced concrete, which, among other things, relies on economic, digital production methods to conserve resources.

Project duration:
April to October 2020

Project team:
Institute of Structural Design: Stefan Peters, Andreas Trummer, Georg Hansemann, Robert Schmid, Christoph Holzinger, Joshua Paul Tapley
Hans Kupelwieser
Company Gusel: Hubert Lugbauer
Company Tröga: Gerald Ottman