3D Printing: A Boon or a Bane for Sustainable Construction

The construction industry is held liable for around 39% of worldwide energy-related carbon emissions. Therefore, it becomes imperative to decarbonize it. There are several decarbonization measures available for it like using timber in place of concrete or replacing cement with alternative materials like blast furnace slag, coal ash, etc. 3D printing (3DP) is one of the proposed decarbonization measures available for this industry which is gaining momentum but is yet to be tested for its role in throwing its impact on people, planet, and profit. So, this paper attempts to probe into the pros and cons of using state-of-the-art 3D printing on the Environment, Economy, and Society through a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of 18 articles from Scopus and Google Scholar. Besides, the paper analyzed the frequency of occurrence of these pros and cons across literature and found the statistical difference between them using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, a non-parametric test. Results showed that 3DP has a more positive than negative impact on overall sustainability. Moreover, this research also provides recommendations vide research, industry, and policy aspects to overcome the loopholes in this technology.