---
title: "LUYTEN 3D and University of Wollongong develop Australia’s first submerged concrete 3D printing system"
url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/luyten-3d-and-university-of-wollongong-develop-australias-first-submerged-concrete-3d-printing-system/
date: 2026-04-20
modified: 2026-04-20
lang: en
author: "Joseph Caron-Dawe"
description: "LUYTEN 3D, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW), has unveiled what the partners described as Australia's first submerged 3D concrete printing system, along with a world-first..."
categories:
  - "AM Research"
  - "Concrete"
  - "Construction 3D Printing"
  - "Research & Education"
tags:
  - "future"
image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/LUYTEN3D-02-640x400.jpg
word_count: 370
---

# LUYTEN 3D and University of Wollongong develop Australia’s first submerged concrete 3D printing system

[LUYTEN 3D](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/luyten/), in collaboration with researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW), has unveiled what the partners described as Australia's first submerged 3D concrete printing system, along with a world-first concrete formulation capable of setting underwater without chemical accelerators.

![LUYTEN 3D and University of Wollongong develop Australia](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/LUYTEN3D-01-340x213.jpg)

The development centered on a “single-mix” concrete designed to remain stable and extrudable in submerged conditions — a departure from conventional marine construction techniques, which typically depend on cofferdams, prefabricated components, and chemically assisted setting processes.

[Ahmed Mahil, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at LUYTEN 3D](https://www.voxelmatters.com/luyten-ceo-to-live-in-3d-printed-multi-storey-home-in-melbourne/), said the project required solving overlapping engineering challenges that had historically blocked progress in underwater additive manufacturing.

“Underwater additive manufacturing presents three core constraints: hydrostatic pressure, material washout, and robotic stability in a fluid environment,” Mahil told Australian Manufacturing. “The breakthrough was not a single invention, but the integration of material rheology, robotic control, and deployment architecture into one coherent system.”

Mahil said the resulting system moves marine construction away from its conventional model. “It allows reduced staging infrastructure, fewer chemical dependencies, and greater process predictability,” he said. “In manufacturing terms, it moves underwater construction from a reactive containment model to a controlled digital fabrication model.”

https://youtu.be/UJs_iDKd9aI?si=QPGcGIXY50ELFxaA

## Defense, ports, and offshore energy in scope

LUYTEN 3D and UOW said the technology was being assessed for use across defense, port infrastructure, offshore energy, and coastal construction, including submerged structures and in-situ repair works.

Mahil said the ability to fabricate structures directly on the seabed could alter how large-scale marine projects are delivered. “We will see a shift from transporting large prefabricated marine components toward digital, on-demand, in-situ fabrication,” he said. He added that the approach could reduce repair timelines, lower dry-docking dependency, and improve continuity of operations for maritime infrastructure.

The company reported that the system had moved beyond laboratory validation into a controlled demonstration phase, with engagement underway with regulators and stakeholders in the defense and ports sectors. 

“Scalability is not a constraint. Commercial pilots are the logical next step,” added Mahil.

LUYTEN 3D and UOW initially unveiled the system at the start of February, around the same time [researchers at Cornell University revealed they were making significant progress with an underwater concrete 3D printing project](https://www.voxelmatters.com/cornell-team-advances-underwater-3d-printing-of-concrete-project/) backed by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.