Stress-Based Design Of Lightweight Horizontal Structures For 3D Concrete Printing
Luca Breseghello – DTU
Luca Breseghello is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where he works at the intersection of computational design, structural engineering, and robotic fabrication.
With a background in architecture and a PhD focused on 3D concrete printing, his research explores how digital workflows can be tuned to the physical constraints of material and machine—balancing design intent, fabrication logic, and sustainability.
Ahead of his presentation at CDFAM Amsterdam 2025, Luca discusses how design-to-fabrication strategies are evolving, how simulation and testing inform real-world prototypes, and why 3D concrete printing could offer more than just automation—it could change what we build, where, and how.
Can you start by introducing yourself and your research focus, and give us an overview of what you’ll be presenting at CDFAM Amsterdam?
I am Luca Breseghello, a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Engineering Technology at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
My background is in architecture, specialising in computational design and digital fabrication. I hold a PhD in civil and architectural engineering from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), where I developed structural and fabrication optimisation workflows for 3D concrete printed horizontal elements.
My research focuses on advancing design-to-fabrication methodologies that harness the full potential of 3D Concrete Printing and looks into printable materials mixes that can reduce the environmental impact of construction, with the broader aim of expanding the possibilities of what can be built, while promoting material efficiency and sustainability.
A growing research interest of mine is to investigate whether, and how, 3D concrete printing can be meaningfully applied not only in the Global North but also in the fast-developing regions of the Global South.
At CDFAM Amsterdam, I will present research on the interplay between construction-scale physical prototypes and digital design and optimisation processes.
I will discuss computational design strategies and examine how material behaviour and the specific constraints of 3D concrete printing influence and inform both design development and fabrication.
Your work combines computational design, structural optimization, and robotic 3D concrete printing. What are some of the biggest challenges in adapting these digital tools to the realities of large-scale concrete construction?
One of the principal challenges lies in translating highly detailed, often idealised digital models into physical processes constrained by material behaviour, machine precision, and environmental conditions.
Integrating the physical realities of the printed material — during and after fabrication — within the digital design environment, while maintaining fast, flexible design iterations, is essential to fully harness the capabilities of 3D concrete printing.
Bridging this digital-physical divide and enabling designers and engineers to exploit the full potential of the AM, remains a central obstacle to scaling these technologies meaningfully.
What does your software workflow look like today for stress-based design? Are you primarily using off-the-shelf simulation and optimization tools, or have you developed custom methods to support your work?
My current workflows combine commercial tools with custom-developed methods. Centred around Grasshopper within Rhinoceros, I take advantage of the vibrant open-source plugin ecosystem while developing bespoke scripts for process-specific tasks, such as previewing printed strands, translating structural analysis data into 3D printable geometries, and generating optimised robot code.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tools such as Karamba3D (within Grasshopper) and commercial packages like ANSYS are integrated seamlessly at different stages for design exploration and validation.
How do you validate your simulation-driven designs once they are physically printed? What kinds of testing methods or performance metrics have you found most important for real-world verification?
Early on, I conducted geometric experiments to calibrate robot speed and extrusion rates against digital designs, ensuring precise control of material deposition throughout the printing process, critical for varying layer widths and adjusting parameters dynamically.
For structural validation, and with the support of colleagues at SDU, we carried out full-scale mechanical tests on 1:1 prototypes, assessing both failure behaviour and ultimate load capacity. While initial designs were qualitatively optimised through simulation, these tests provided the essential quantitative data needed to evaluate and refine the structural strategies developed.
3DLightBeam, 3DLightBeam+, and 3DLightSlab all aim to balance strength, weight, and sustainability. What broader lessons have you learned about material placement strategies that could apply beyond concrete structures?
While materials and their optimisation remain crucial to reduce the environmental impact, the key lesson is the importance of developing tailored design strategies that genuinely leverage the flexibility of additive manufacturing technologies.
Optimising material placement, concentrating it where structurally needed and reducing it elsewhere, not only enhances sustainability and performance but also ensures that productivity, cost, and manufacturability are not compromised. This principle extends beyond concrete and is critical to unlocking the full potential of digital construction and fabrication across all materials.
As you join CDFAM Amsterdam this year, what are you looking forward to sharing with the community, and what kinds of collaborations or insights are you hoping to find?
I am excited to share a demonstration of how 3D printing can reshape the construction industry when design, engineering, and fabrication are fully integrated. I want to highlight the value of developing digital tools and design methods that align with the fabrication process.
At the same time, I look forward to connecting with the broader CDFAM community across disciplines. 3D printing thrives on collaboration between designers, engineers, material scientists, and developers, and it is only through this kind of interdisciplinary dialogue that we can truly push the boundaries of what is possible.
To meet Luca Breseghello and explore the future of computational design in construction and fabrication, join us at CDFAM Amsterdam, July 9–10, 2025. With presentations from leading researchers, engineers, and software developers, it’s a unique opportunity to connect across disciplines and scales.
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