Be More 3D Proyectos

Valorization of WWTP sludge in the construction sector (2023)

Duration: 2023-2025
Organization: Agència Valenciana de la Innovació (Valencian Innovation Agency)
Program: Strategic projects in cooperation
Leader: GLOBAL OMNIUM MEDIOAMBIENTE, S.L. (GOMSL)
Partners: UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF CONCRETE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY – UPV (ICITECH), 3DCONCRETE S.L. – BE MORE 3D (BM3D).
In the field of wastewater treatment, the generation of sludge has been increasing progressively until reaching an annual production in the Valencian Community of about 400,000 tons. Sludge management can account for up to 50% of the operating costs of WWTPs, and most of it (≈90%) is valorized as an organic amendment in agriculture. However, the entry into force of the modification of RD 1310/1990 makes the use of sludge in agriculture more restrictive, which leads to the need for sustainable solutions, such as the one proposed in the AVI SLUDGE 3D project, which aims to valorize this waste in the construction sector.

The main objective of SLUDGE3D is to develop a more sustainable concrete incorporating these sludges that cannot be used in agriculture, as a substitute for the raw materials traditionally used. This concrete will be developed with the premise of using additive construction technology (3D printing) providing the advantages of this technology that will enhance the quality and sustainability of the final product. During the development of the project, a technical and economical study of this waste valorization will be carried out in order to have data to evaluate the process and the final product on the scale of the project.

Demonstrating our capabilities for the South American continent.

As a result of an interesting synergy with OVO Group, a team of Chilean architects with extensive experience in anti-seismic construction, we made an exhibition of technology, material and new construction systems to several investors and those interested in our ambitious technology.
We executed a full-scale rectangular module with double wall lines and various types of infill. Some walls incorporated a zigzag created with the cementitious material. Others were joined with corrugated ‘Z’ rebar and included different sized openings for doors and windows.
At the corners, four hollow columns were imprinted, which later served as a structural connection between the foundation and the rest of the vertical elements.
This construction was carried out with a new square section grout that improves the final finish of the walls. As a finish, 2 tests were carried out after executing the openings for the installations, a plaster with mortar and a plaster with plaster; both with a smooth finish on which to paint directly.

Hello, Porto.: SMART Instalation (2022)

May 2022. We arrived in Portugal to install an extended version of our most compact model. With 6m long in the ‘Y’ axis, 3m high in the ‘Z’ axis and 3m in the ‘X’ axis, we created the SMART 3000.
Its destination: the University of Porto. More specifically, at the engineering faculty, within the construction institute, in its large development and testing laboratory for all types of materials and construction systems.
There, there was a desire to learn and we did not want to disappoint: The same day the machine was installed, it was ready for use. Record time.
As always, the installation was accompanied by comprehensive training for laboratory technicians, teachers and students, the latter of whom are interested in carrying out their final projects for their bachelor’s and master’s degrees with a device that is ideal for all their ambitions.

The first steps of our SMART 2500 model (2021)

It was CETIM, the Multisectorial Research Technological Center, located in Culleredo, Galicia, who made us debut in November 2021 with the installation of SMART 2500, our first industrial device designed specifically for universities, technology centers and prefabrication plants.
Their goal: to develop the geopolymer-based building materials of the future.
Our goal: to help them achieve it together and with a technology that exceeds all their expectations.
It was a pleasure to meet their facilities and the technicians who run them.

Cabinext 3D: the story of constant change (2021)

2020 was a year that changed the way we live.
The València City Council launched an initiative with the intention of adapting the city to the new social and economic context generated by the COVID19 and we decided to present our proposal CABINEXT 3D. A project that seeks to recreate the seclusion and security that you find in a cabin outside, even when the weather around is unstable.
We made a catenary in 3D concrete to house inside a bench for 3 people. Initially, this piece was designed with two windows, one at the front and one at the back, in order to ensure airtightness against the COVID-19. It also included an air renewal and cleaning device so that any vulnerable person could rest or eat inside without a mask.
During the execution of this project, the use of the mask was no longer mandatory in outdoor spaces. Therefore, we decided to reconvert the piece into a functional work of art, with a single glass back as a backrest.
The beauty of creating street furniture is that its function depends on the use that everyone wants to give it: shelter from the rain, find some privacy outdoors or shelter in the shade on sunny and hot days in the city of Valencia.
CABINEXT 3D also incorporates a solar panel on top that provides enough energy for the 4 USB chargers installed, the lighting circuit and a sensor that changes the color of the light according to its availability.
Its exterior is a sight to behold. It is decorated with a work of art by the renowned Valencian artist Rodolfo Navarro, from the town of Llíria. This artist is known for being the only one to perform the first and last artistic intervention on the Great Wall of China.

First tests:
To start the testing process, 2 tests were carried out using 3D printing at ½ scale of two different cab models, one with semi-circumference and the other with catenary design.

A new life for marble (2021)

In 2021 we started something important. A line of research together with the CTMARMOL Technology Center in Murcia to give a second life to the waste generated in marble quarries with the extraction and cutting of this material.
The interesting thing comes here: This waste is largely composed of limestone. This gave us a clue to generate a new mix that could open a new path in 3D constructions, reducing the CO² footprint.
We found the solution by adding to the limestone other waste from factories in the region -plaster and fiberglass-, aggregates from standardized quarries and a type of cement with less clinker content.
After several tests, the result was an optimal mix for use in 3D constructions and with good anisotropic qualities. So optimal, that we have ahead of us the printing of a canteen in Murcia using this same material.

Always researching. Always developing. Always innovating (2021)

This is the only way we know how to work. Our way. That of continuous development, with different lines of R+D+i in materials, construction systems with and without reinforcement, etc.
We constantly carry out tests in the laboratories of the Universitat Politècnica de València. We subject our walls to compression, tensile and flexural-traction tests, with and without reinforcement, in order to compare the different results and continue improving.
But we go beyond the walls. We also test with different types of lintels that can be placed in our constructions, with smooth lattice reinforcement, with corrugated reinforcement or with laminated profiles such as HEB or IPE.

Valencian Innovation Agency - 2021

We are excited to announce the successful closure of BE MORE3D’s 3DSOSTENIBLE project, a milestone in the evolution of construction.

In collaboration with BECSA Simetría Grupo, CLAM Desarrollo, Acteco, Productos y Servicios, AIDIMME Instituto Tec-nológico and the University of Cantabria, we have reached the end of this project funded by the Agència Valenciana de la Innovació (AVI) and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Operational Program of the Valencian Community.

Our mission was clear: to advance the industrialization of 3D printing in the construction sector. This involved the control and automation of the 3D printing machine to adapt it to environmental conditions and the development of new materials with a lower carbon footprint. This approach will also allow us to reuse waste in the 3D printing of construction elements, bringing additional value to our process.

This past month, we have culminated printing tests of mortars that replace natural aggregate with recycled material, an important milestone in our journey to make 3D printing competitive with traditional construction techniques.

We thank our talented team and collaborators for making this achievement possible – the future of construction is sustainable and closer than you think!

Cotton walls (2020)

We have fond memories of 2020. Although it is a stained year in history for the vast majority, for us it was a nice contact with an important Spanish brand recognized worldwide.
We developed a new GCODE generation system with which we could extrude walls with different textures. In this way, we were able to give the wall a woven appearance like cotton. We use an XPS rectangular formwork, to achieve openings in the walls. A thickness of 16cm for a spectacular finish.
Another summit reached: to realize a great number of different textures in the prints. And all thanks to the extrusion system of the new BEM PRO and its wide variety of configurations.
This year, we also had the opportunity to develop a project for the company Booking. It consisted of installing a luxury suite on a truck so that it could be itinerant. The challenge was a challenge: a peculiar design, tight sizes, having to adapt to the transport and its functionality…
In the end, this project did not come to light but it was a very enriching experience.

A home for our BEM PRO (2020)

Cualquier ocasión es buena para poner a prueba nuestras máquinas.
Esta vez, quisimos estrenar nuestro nuevo modelo BEM PRO y medir su potencial fabricando una vivienda de aproximadamente 3m de altura, con diferentes formas de muros y con instalación de puertas y ventanas con armaduras cada 40cm y una armadura para los dinteles in situ a base de redondos de 12mm.
Grabamos todo el proceso de construcción y del sistema de elevación automático del Any occasion is a good opportunity to test our machines.
This time, we wanted to test our new BEM PRO model and measure its potential by building a house of approximately 3m in height, with different wall shapes and with the installation of doors and windows with reinforcement every 40cm and a reinforcement for the lintels in situ based on 12mm round bars.
We recorded the entire construction process and the automatic lifting system of the device on video so that it can serve as a guide for those who choose to rent our machine to work.
The video can be found at the following link and includes explanations about the preparation of the holes for electrical and sanitary installations and the whole procedure:

Crossing borders at the Solar Decathlon (2019)

It started in October 2019. Something we didn’t imagine was going to happen to us so soon: crossing borders.
BE MORE 3D attended one of the most important architecture events, the African edition of the Solar Decathlon. We were invited to demonstrate our 3D technology.
With our BEM 1 machine model we realized a futuristic housing model, at the level of originality of the other 20 houses that participated in the event.
For the first time, we had to face the challenge of building at a temperature of more than 40ºC and, despite some setbacks, it was a complete success. In addition, we participated in the Pitches contest of the event and won 1st prize!
Of course, this was a totally enriching experience, which opened the doors to continue collaborating with other companies of the event and with the Solar Decathlon in its next editions.

The Mundo Villas Fair (2019)

We have always believed in the potential of our additive manufacturing technology in single-family homes. Responding to our eagerness to bring it to the world, we attended the World Villas Fair in 2019.
Among barbecues, bonsais and the most diverse planters, a large 3D printer stood out, making a simple model of a house of approximately 15m².
Our presence in this fair, together with the demonstration we made in it, immediately placed us within the high-end housing as a fast option in the execution, unique and fully customized, thanks to work without formwork. In addition, this allowed us to establish a strong link with several interested companies in the sector.

We conquered the mecca of entrepreneurship (2018)

We do not believe in luck. Undoubtedly, being selected in 2018 in the Explorer – ‘Jóvenes con talento’ program, organized by Banco Santander and led by the IDEAS Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València, might seem to be the result of luck but perhaps our effort and dedication had a lot to do with it.
3 months of incubation with numerous entrepreneurial projects from the city of Valencia and a final contest with 3 prizes. BE MORE 3D was the winner of 2 of them:
– 1st prize for the Best Innovative Project of the Explorer program of Banco Santander (2018).
– Disruptive Technology Explorer Awards, awarded by the Universitat Politècnica de València and CISE, Santander Entrepreneurship International Center (2018).
Receiving these awards meant being able to also enjoy a trip to Silicon Valley with the other 55 winners from the rest of Spain. An enriching experience together with the best Startups in the Spanish territory, visiting large companies such as Google, Facebook and Apple and listening to the stories of several workers of the most innovative projects of these. In addition, we were the first to be part of the ecosystem of projects of the IDEAS Institute of the Universitat Politècnica de València and today, we continue to collaborate together.

On the other side of the classroom: IDARQ / Etsatopia Open Day (2018)

We have always enjoyed being part of the Universitat Politécnica de València, this time we gave an introductory workshop on 3D construction together with IDARq, a firm of architects graduated from this university specialized in innovative techniques.
The workshop consisted of an initial training on 3D technology, parametric design and a field test with the machine for Exatopia, a working group of the architecture school of this university. The students learned the possibilities of this new methodology and designed a bench for street furniture. All of them were amazed with the possibilities provided by the parameterization since it gave them the possibility of creating a 2m to a 10m bench and the system was in charge of redrawing it.
The winning model was printed in real size together with the first 3D house.

Spain's first 3D printed home: Acciona I'mnovation (2018)

September 2017.
We were selected as one of the 8 best projects, among more than 100 participants, to be part of the Acciona I’mnovation incubation program.
The challenge was complex: Develop and manufacture a life-size 3D home printer and print the first 3D home in Spain.
It was not easy at all, we were beset by endless problems. But… we did it! And in only 3 months. Practically 90 days to build the machine because it only took us 12 hours to print this 24m² house. Something that, today, we can do in 4 hours.
As always, the Universitat Politècnica de València was by our side and gave us the space in their facilities to develop this project, where the house is still preserved to serve as a pilot house and the results can be observed on a real finished house.

The first 3D housing printer prototype (2016/2017)

2016 marked a before and after. And not only for us.
We managed (finally!) to officially present our first prototype 3D housing printer during the EUBIM 2016 International Congress. A prototype that we shaped in the garage of our house and fully functional, using a primitive extrusion material.
Always with the support of our family and friends and the Universitat Politècnica de València, who provided us with the necessary infrastructure and experience to carry out our business idea and who reached out to us to jointly develop the extrusion material. And, especially, thanks to José Ramón Albiol for always believing in our project.