Use of BIM and 3D Printing in Mars Habitat Design Challenge: Fid-Bau Portal

Use of BIM and 3D Printing in Mars Habitat Design Challenge

Carrato, Peter J.

NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge encouraged competitors to advance the technology for design and construction of surface facilities on Mars. The three phases of this competition took nearly five years to complete. In the final phase of the challenge, teams engaged in both physical and virtual creation of habitats. Virtual design and construction (VDC) of these facilities employed building information modeling (BIM) software to create a digital representation of a habitat suitable for occupation by four astronauts for one year. These digital models were exercised to display time-dependent virtual construction operations, often termed 4D BIM. The challenge also included physical construction operations that relied on autonomous 3D printing of simulated Martian concrete. Concrete is considered to be any material composed of aggregate and binder. Trial structures demonstrating the ability of teams to create foundations as well as pressure tight components were required. Ultimately teams had to print a 1:3 scale prototype of the habitat modeled using BIM. All physical samples were tested to failure. This paper presents the protocol developed to deliver both the virtual and physical portions of the challenge. Results of the competition including digital models of habitats, physical tests of structural elements and components, and performance of 3D printing of one-third scale habitat prototypes are described and illustrated. Lessons learned from the five-year long habitat challenge are included.