The company, called SpaceCrete, was set up by civil engineer and serial inventor Michael Butler and although his system is not yet commercially available it is covered by US patents with EU patents pending.
Despite still being in the early stages of development, SpaceCrete even won 鈥楳ost Innovative Construction Product鈥� at the 2023 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas in January.
鈥淲e work at the interface between machine control and finished concrete structure,鈥� said Butler. 鈥淲e developed the admixture and delivery system that allows vertically-shaping fluid concrete, rather than traditional forming.
鈥淭he vertical shape can be defined by simple or sophisticated construction hardware or new technology 鈥� such as 3D printing 鈥� but using essentially normal concrete.鈥�
The SpaceCrete system uses inline mixing to modify the pumped concrete with a special admixture called 3D-Admix. According to Butler only 0.25% of 3D-Admix is required to transform normal concrete into SpaceCrete.
鈥淎 five-inch [127mm] slump becomes zero slump inline 鈥� but with extreme shear thinning 鈥� so you can still pump it and work it as needed,鈥� says Butler.
He explained that extreme shear thinning means that vibrating SpaceCrete consolidates it thoroughly, locking it into place and enabling it to build up vertically.
As SpaceCrete allows pumped concrete to be 鈥榮tacked鈥� vertically without聽forming, it opens up many new ways to build with the material.
鈥淵our normal delivered concrete can become 3D print material with a very low dose of 3D-Admix聽injected into the pump line. Or you can slip-form vertically very rapidly with pumpable concrete.听
鈥淭he form pressure is gone the moment you stop vibrating it,鈥� said Butler.
Using a vertical screed rail, you can define a finished vertical plane of concrete as fast as you can pump it, Butler claims. 鈥淭his allows you to place solid concrete walls over rough excavations, insulating foam panels, or any vertical surface,鈥� he said.
SpaceCrete 鈥渞eally is a new concept, and sceptical contractors are very impressed,鈥� said Butler, adding that his invention is 鈥渨ay greener and cheaper than 3D-print mortars; but our method development is rapid-light slip forming, not 3D-printing鈥�.听
Butler added that SpaceCrete meets all existing US codes and is 鈥渁 healthy replacement for noxious shotcrete鈥�.
Butler is now looking for commercial partners to help perfect SpaceCrete and make it commercially available.
鈥淲e are solely a method and material R&D developer on a very low budget,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e would like to share our knowhow, trade secrets and IP [intellectual property] with an established construction-related business, preferably one having significant manufacturing and/or marketing infrastructure in place.鈥�
SpaceCrete is currently making samples of 3D-Admix available in small quantities. For more information, click.
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