Establishing standards for 3D concrete printing: Current insights and future research needs

3D Concrete Printing (3DCP) has proven its technological readiness for large-scale applications; however, the absence of comprehensive standards enfolding design, construction and quality control significantly hinders its widespread adoption. As a result, current applications remain largely limited to non-structural or quasi-structural elements and extensively rely on hybrid systems incorporating conventional construction. This paper presents a thematic gap analysis to critically synthesise the evidence from completed projects, emerging standards and existing literature, aimed at highlighting current gaps in specifications and outlining potential future research directions. A comparative assessment of seven current standards identifies: (1) the absence of explicit structural design rules, (2) inconsistent treatment of interlayer properties, (3) limited translation of test results into structural capacity calculations, (4) lack of comprehensive quality control protocol and acceptance logic and (5) limited guidance on non-structural performance indicators capturing peculiarities of 3DCP. Based on this comparative analysis, the paper outlines priority components for a model 3DCP standard, subsequently suggests critical mechanical properties required for structural design, reconnaissance viable design and detailing approaches, reframes durability and serviceability requirements as performance targets, and proposes a minimal and testable quality-control protocol that links process control, material characterisation and structural verification. The proposed comparative framework provides a foundation for transitioning 3DCP from project-specific demonstrations to reliable standards-based structural applications. • Identify the construction methods commonly adopted in 3DCP projects. • Critically analyse the provisions of the existing 3DCP standards. • Propose elements to be included in a model 3DCP standard and summarise current insights. • Highlights the research gaps to be addressed in formulation of a comprehensive 3DCP standard.