Application of 3D printing concepts in the Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry - A scientometric review

Abstract

The construction industry builds the essential infrastructure and contributes to the economic development of any nation. The productivity of the construction industry has been lagging behind manufacturing for many decades. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of the industry and its severe dependencies on manual, labour-oriented practices. The industry needs to become resilient and rebound quickly to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. The 3D printing or additive manufacturing concept offers to automate the processes of construction, improve efficiencies in design & construction, reduce wastage and sustainable development. The present paper intends to summarize the developments, trends, and application areas through a scientometric review. Research articles were obtained from the Scopus database. The USA leads the research studies followed by China, Australia, the UK and Germany. 339 documents were obtained from the initial search. These were systematically filtered for review through the PRISMA framework. The screened 193 articles were quantitatively analyzed through the VOS viewer software. The study summarizes the current research trends, themes, and future research trends. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge and intends to raise awareness of the concept and encourage researchers and practitioners to adopt the concept on a larger scale, especially in India.