The automated construction of expeditionary structures, phase 3 (ACES 3) project incorporates a liquid goods delivery system (LGDS) into a dry goods delivery system (DGDS) structure to create an integrated and automated ACES 3 materials delivery system (MDS) for 3D printing structures with ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. ACES 3 is a prototype system which 3D prints barracks for soldiers in forward bases, here on Earth. The LGDS supports ACES 3 by storing liquid materials, mixing recipe batches of liquid materials, and working with the DGDS previously developed for ACES 2, combining a specialized concrete recipe of materials that are eventually extruded out of the print nozzle. ACES 3 is a project led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC)—Construction Engineering Research Lab (CERL), and supported by NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The equivalent 3D printing system for construction in space is designated additive construction with mobile emplacement (ACME) by NASA.
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