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Feasibility of 3D Printing Applications for Highway Infrastructure Construction and Maintenance
In recent years there has been a significant increase of the interest in additive manufacturing (AM; also frequently referred to as 3D printing), yet AM is largely unexplored within infrastructure projects. By harnessing the new capabilities of AM, researchers have managed to access unprecedented new design capabilities and operational flexibility (e.g., on-demand, tool-free production). This revolutionary progress, however, has not been reflected in applications focused on transportation infrastructure. This project explores AM innovations and their capabilities related to transportation infrastructure and as a potential future resource to assist MassDOT Highway Division’s ongoing rehabilitation of bridge, tunnel, and highway structures, as well as classic recurring maintenance activities. The project’s main research objective is to connect the additive manufacturing research community with MassDOT to explore additive repair techniques as well as individual component manufacturing for the highway and construction sector purposes. The project also aims at drafting MassDOT business process recommendations for AM technologies.
Read the full report here.