AMT-SPECVIA, a European manufacturer of construction 3D printers, has aided in the restoration of a historic water fountain in the Russian city of Palekh.
With a diameter of 26 meters and depth of 2.2 meters, the Sheaf fountain is claimed to be the first 3D printed landmark in Russia as well as the first large-scale concrete 3D printed water fountain in the world.
The Sheaf fountain
Located in Holy cross Cathedral park in Palekh, a world-famous Russian center of folk arts and crafts, the Sheaf fountain was created in the middle of the last century by the famous sculptor Nikolai Vasilyevich Dydykin, a contributor of the Grand Cascade, a grandiose fountain in Peterhof, Russia.
The restoration of the Sheaf fountain was lead by construction companies IvStroyIndustriya and IvStroyGarant, using the AMT S-6044 LONG 3D printer (COP-printer, Construction Objects Printing). This medium-sized concrete 3D printer is capable of manufacturing concrete structures up to 55 sq.m.
Fountain restoration with additive manufacturing
During this project, the restoration team, as well as the residents of Palekh, decided to change Sheaf fountain’s original shape from rectangular to round. Furthermore, the fountain is mounted underwater lights in the colors of Palekh lacquer miniatures – a Russian handicraft.
The parapets, which are barriers extended around the fountain base, were 3D printed using structural and geopolymer concretes, gypsum, clay, use mixtures with mineral additives and fiberglass. Before the Sheaf fountain restoration, the AMT S-6044 LONG 3D printer was used to create the first inhabitable 3D printed house in Yaroslavl, Russia.
Construction 3D printing
In 2017, the machine-building company SPETSVIA, a manufacturer of professional CNC equipment, established the subsidiary company Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) to develop and produce 3D construction printers. SPETSVIA stated, “we noticed a growing market interest in the subject of construction 3D printing.”
Following this, construction 3D printing has demonstrated its ability to restore landmarks around the world. Earlier this year, Cintec, an international structural engineering firm based in Wales, helped in the restoration of the historical Trinidadian Government building, the Red House, using additive manufacturing. In addition, last month, Sismaitalia, an Italian service bureau, employed Massivit 3D printing to restore a palace, renovated as a hotel, located in the city Ferrara, Northern Italy.
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Featured image shows the 3D printed Sheaf fountain in the Russian city of Palekh. Photo via SPETSVIA.
