Purview of 3DP in the Indian Built Environment Sector

3D printing or Additive Manufacturing, a means of total automation, is a part of the new industrial revolution. This technology has gained significant attention in all the manufacturing industries throughout the world in the last few decades. Considering the adoption of automation, the construction industry is not lagging behind in adopting 3D printing. Automation in construction by the use of a 3D printer shall increase architectural freedom, balances the labor dependency, decreases the time & cost overruns and shall also help in the adoption of Building Information Modelling. This is still a very novice technology in construction industry, thus, there is a need to understand the challenges & limitations associated with adoption of 3D printing in construction industry. Stakeholders such as client, consultant, contractors, and end users shall play a major role in the adoption of any new technology. Thus, the perspective of various stakeholders of built environment sector needs to be assessed to understand the acceptability of 3D printing as a means of construction technology. This research will highlight the status of adoption of 3D printing in the construction industry and will discuss the benefits and challenges in the adoption of 3D printing in India. Further to the benefits and challenges in adoption, the potential and future of this technology in Indian construction industry will be discussed. (c) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.