Three-dimensional printing of reinforced concrete and nozzle therefor

A nozzle for three-dimensional (3D) printing of reinforced concrete, the nozzle comprising:

• a first inlet configured for connection to a concrete extruder such that the concrete extruder can extrude unreinforced concrete through the first inlet;
• a second inlet configured for connection to a concrete reinforcement feeder such that the concrete reinforcement feeder can feed one or more elongate reinforcement members into the nozzle through the second inlet;
• an outlet in communication with the first inlet and the second inlet;
• a passage connecting the first inlet and the second inlet to the outlet, the passage including a first portion opening through the first inlet, a second portion opening through the second inlet, and a third portion opening through the outlet;
• and
• a reinforcement configurator received in the second portion of the passage and operatively connected to the second inlet such that each of the one or more elongate reinforcement members fed through the second inlet is fed through the reinforcement configurator, and
• wherein the nozzle is configured to combine the unreinforced concrete extruded through the first inlet with the one or more elongate reinforcement members fed through the second inlet for forming reinforced concrete in the nozzle and imparting an extrusion of the reinforced concrete through the outlet of the nozzle,
• wherein the reinforcement configurator is configured to deform each elongate reinforcement member into a reinforcement shape as it is fed through the reinforcement configurator, and
• wherein the reinforcement configurator is configured to selectively adjust the reinforcement shape along the length of the extrusion of the reinforced concrete.

A nozzle for three-dimensional (3D) printing of reinforced concrete, the nozzle comprising:

• a first inlet configured for connection to a concrete extruder such that the concrete extruder can extrude unreinforced concrete through the first inlet;
• a second inlet configured for connection to a concrete reinforcement feeder such that the concrete reinforcement feeder can feed one or more elongate reinforcement members into the nozzle through the second inlet;
• an outlet in communication with the first inlet and the second inlet;
• a passage connecting the first inlet and the second inlet to the outlet, the passage including a first portion opening through the first inlet, a second portion opening through the second inlet, and a third portion opening through the outlet;
• and
• a reinforcement configurator received in the second portion of the passage and operatively connected to the second inlet such that each of the one or more elongate reinforcement members fed through the second inlet is fed through the reinforcement configurator, and
• wherein the nozzle is configured to combine the unreinforced concrete extruded through the first inlet with the one or more elongate reinforcement members fed through the second inlet for forming reinforced concrete in the nozzle and imparting an extrusion of the reinforced concrete through the outlet of the nozzle,
• wherein the reinforcement configurator is configured to deform each elongate reinforcement member into a reinforcement shape as it is fed through the reinforcement configurator,
• wherein the reinforcement shape is a coil having a length and a pitch, and
• wherein the reinforcement configurator is configured to adjust the pitch of the coil along the length of the coil.