Photo taken on April 15, 2020 shows the process of making 3D printed face shields for medical workers at the Blue Lab in Piraeus, Greece. In a hi-tech hub at the Greek port city of Piraeus, experts in new technologies are racing against time day in and day out this April to meet Greek hospitals' needs for personal protective equipment (PPE) in the war against the novel coronavirus pandemic. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

 If a construction project requires unconventional brick shapes, 3D printing now provides a solution. East China's Shanghai Municipality has applied the technology in a riverbank renovation project of the Suzhou Creek, a river passing through the city center.

Science and Technology Daily reported Monday that 3D printing had been used in brick production of the project. The printing machine sprayed and overlaid high-strength mortar material according to computer patterns. The whole printing process was controlled by a computer program, with an error range of three to eight millimeters.

3D printing allows flexible modeling of bricks and is suitable for custom-tailored production, said the report.

Compared with traditional craft, 3D printing improves the construction efficiency of a single brick by 70 to 80 percent and shortens the production cycle by 60 to 80 percent.

Without templates and other supporting materials, the production made no sediment, broken stones or dust. Construction noise and waste were also reduced.

The technology will remarkably improve construction quality and efficiency, as well as protect the environment, the report said.