A Bibliometric Analysis on 3D Printed Concrete in Architecture

3D printing technologies with its advantages such as speed, precision, on-site direct printing, non-stop production, using an adequate amount of material, and manufacturing complex shapes, are effective laboratories for researchers working in field of architectural design. With these technologies, almost any kind of plasticized material can be used and many forms and structures can be printed from scale models to the one-to-one scale end products. With the introduction of concrete, the most widely used material in the construction industry, to the 3D printers, revolutionary developments have occurred in building construction. Although the studies proceed with an experimental approach, authorities argue that this form of production will shift the paradigm of building construction. This article discusses what kinds of change/transformation caused by the technological changes/developments are experienced in the Construction 4.0 process, as one of the most important items of the construction industry: “building with concrete”. This discussion has been conducted through the articles written in English between 2000 and 2020, collected with a comprehensive literature review of ISI Web of Science Database. Keyword scanning is limited with concrete/3D printing/digital production and articles containing a combination of these terms in the title/summary/keywords have been included. In this context, cooperation networks between leading countries, institutions, and actors have been presented while the latest developments related to the use of concrete in 3D printers have been revealed in this bibliometric analysis, and it has been possible to show these networks through clustering technics. It is thought that, by tracing the correlations between the keywords, interfaces of research on forms, materials, technology, and architectural applications that need more research will also be determined.