Case Study: ETH Zurich achieves 60% concrete savings with ExOne 3D-printed formwork

ETH Zurich saves over 60% concrete with ExOne for DFAB House slab

The customer ETH Zurich, as part of its DFAB House research project, required a highly complex formwork system to cast an innovative and structurally optimized concrete slab. To achieve this, they partnered with vendor ExOne, which utilized its Powder-Binder-Jetting 3D printing service, specifically the Furan-Direct-Binding process, to produce the intricate moulds.

ExOne printed 136 custom formwork elements using its VX4000 3D printing system. This solution allowed for the creation of previously unachievable geometries and enabled significant material savings in the final concrete structure. The project was a success, with ETH Zurich reporting that the 3D-printed formwork helped save over 60% of concrete compared to conventional construction methods, demonstrating a highly efficient and resource-saving approach to building.

ETH Zurich