A Theoretical Framework for the Standardisation and Industrialisation of 3D Concrete Printing through Decentralised Science

The industrialisation of 3D Concrete Printing represents a potential paradigm shift for the construction industry. Existing building codes, standards, and regulations at the local and regional scale are tailored to traditional construction methods and concrete casting: a regulatory framework specifically designed for the unique aspects of 3DCP is missing, constituting the principal barrier to the diffusion of this technology. This paper proposes a theoretical regulatory framework for 3DCP industrial application by theorising a robust, safe and reliable infrastructure for collecting, validating and distributing design and production data, using Decentralised Ledger Technologies as infrastructure for creating and maintaining the framework. Knowledge transfer methodologies are analysed and, together with ontology engineering, validate the proposed methodology. The decentralised system focuses on standardisation and regulation to guarantee accessibility and usability for stakeholders, as well as scalability and adaptability to local and regional regulatory requirements and standards.