3D Construction Printing vs Additive Manufacturing: Is There a Difference?

To many people, additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D construction printing (3DCP) are completely different concepts. However, there is no distinction between the terms additive manufacturing and 3D construction printing. On the contrary, both terms refer to the same technology.

What is 3D construction printing (3DCP) or additive manufacturing (AM)?

3D concrete printing is defined as a cutting-edge technique that employs software to direct the arrangement of materials to construct 3D objects or structures without using conventional formwork. While additive manufacturing is most commonly defined as a process that creates a physical project from a digital design.

It is revolutionizing the way things in the construction industry are done. Construction using AM, or 3DCP, provides benefits over conventional building techniques. The procedure is largely automated, allowing for rapid completion of structural units with fewer on site personnel. To operate the printer, COBOD suggests having 3-4 people on site. 

The team usually looks like this:

• Printer operator: runs the printer and is the main contact for the architects, making sure the print matches the design
• Materials operator: prepares the batches and checks the material
• Helpers: hands-on support on site

In contrast to conventional building techniques, 3D printing is time-efficient, cutting the amount of time needed to create a wall system from several weeks to a few days. By utilizing only what is necessary, automating the process also improves worker safety and lowers material waste.

Fact box: At Skovsporet in Denmark, Europe’s largest 3D printed housing project, a 3-person team printed the walls for 36 student apartments with 1 COBOD BOD3. The first building’s walls took around 2 weeks. By the last of the 6 buildings, the team did it in around 5 days.

And the team got faster with every building. Once the walls were printed, the roofs, windows and interiors were finished the conventional way.

How does additive manufacturing work in construction?

The workflow for additive manufacturing consists of the following steps: 

1. A digital model of the construction is produced using computer-aided design (CAD) software to command hardware to deposit material in exact geometric forms, layer by layer, much like with traditional 3D printing. 
2. G-code is created from the digital model and transmitted to the 3D printer. 
3. The printer is linked to a material supply system. 
4. After reading the G-code, the printer applies consecutive layers of the provided material.

Read more about the process of building a 3D printed construction in “A 3D printed house – what is it?”

Examples of 3D printed buildings and structures

COBOD has since 2017 been working on projects involving the following markets: 

• Residential homes, such as both single, 2 and 3-story buildings up to 10 meters/ 32.8 ft
• Industrial buildings and structures, such as wind turbine towers and storage tanks
• Educational buildings, such as schools and related buildings
• Commercial buildings and structures since 2017 (we have more and we are proud to state that we are leaders in the 3D construction printing industry).

The tallest 3D printed building

The tallest 3D printed building in the world was built in Saudi Arabia with COBOD’s BOD2 printer. The total height of the construction is 9.9 m/32.5 ft, which makes it the tallest 3D printed building in the world.

Europe’s first 3D printed school

In Lviv, Ukraine, 3DCP Group printed a new primary school with COBOD’s BOD2, as part of a project led by the humanitarian foundation Team4UA. It was the first on-site 3D printed building in Ukraine and the first 3D printed school in Europe, built to give children displaced by the war a place to learn.

The world’s first on-site 3D printed water tanks

In Kuwait, Abyan printed 2 large water tanks for Kuwait United Poultry Company in just 5 days. Each tank is 4.5 m tall with a 7 m diameter. Instead of steel mesh, the walls were reinforced with macro fibers, and the wall thickness goes from 40 cm at the bottom to 20 cm at the top, following where the water pressure is highest. Something you cannot do with formwork. The result: 25% less concrete and reinforcement than a conventionally cast tank.

The 3D printed 2-story office HQ

In Selsingen, Germany, Matthäi Schlüsselfertigbau printed its own 2-story headquarters with COBOD’s BOD2, with PERI 3D Construction as technology partner. The walls of both floors took around 105 hours to print, and the team moved into the 364 m² office in July 2026.

So, is there a difference?

Not really. Additive manufacturing is the umbrella term, and 3D construction printing is what it looks like on a construction site: same technology, just bigger, and with concrete.

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