GS E&C uses the Stratasys F770 to 3D print large architectural scale models, cutting model production time by 30-40%.
Founded in 1969, GS E&C is a leading South Korean Big 5 construction company. It operates across the entire construction industry—including architecture, housing, civil engineering, and plants—and consistently ranks at the top in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport's construction capacity assessment. Currently, by successfully executing large-scale projects in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and worldwide, we are strengthening our position as a global EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) company.
Communication and collaboration are the most important factors in driving construction projects forward. This is because, in the construction industry, stakeholders from various specialties work closely together throughout every stage, from design to construction.
While 2D drawings have traditionally been the primary means of communication and collaboration in the construction industry, digital-based 3D design has recently become an excellent method for examining details in three dimensions.
However, it's not 100% perfect. It's virtually impossible to perfectly review errors that occur during design modifications or complex interferences in the building using only a 3D design model. As an auxiliary measure, GS E&C creates preconstruction scaled models to identify structural conflicts or construction issues that can be easily missed in a 3D model. For example, interference that occurs during concrete formwork installation or ways to ensure safe construction can be identified early through models and reflected in the design to improve the process.
As the need for preliminary review using scale models became more prominent and output demands increased, GSE&C’s Future Technology Institute/BIMteam(hereinafter GS E&C) felt the need to advance its 3D printing environment. Previously used small 3D printers were inefficient in various ways for producing large architectural models due to their limited print size. For example, printing and assembling a structure in multiple pieces was timeconsuming and labor-intensive, and led to problems such as reduced precision and surface quality.
GS E&C reviewed the introduction of 3D printers with a clear goal in mind. The challenge was simple: find a reliable machine with a large output size. GS E&C considered not only the quality of the output, but also long-term operational stability, including equipment operating time, maintenance, and technical support. As a result, in January 2024, the industrial 3D printer F770—which has the largest build chamber among Stratasys’s FDM systems— was introduced.
The technical features of the F770 were also a good fit for GS E&C’s intended use. The 3D printer features a fully enclosed, heated build chamber that minimizes warping and distortion of the print, and can ensure stable quality for large print jobs that take days to complete. Thermoplastics such as ABS-M30 and ASA, which are durable materials, were ideal for printing architectural models. Also, GS E&C has improved its existing scale model production process with an efficient workflow using GrabCAD Print software, which allows for easy 3D model printing.
Since implementing the Stratasys F770, GS E&C has seen significant benefits in several areas. First, the efficiency of collaboration in project design reviews has greatly improved.
A prime example is a high-rise mixed-use project under construction in the heart of the city. The project faced three major difficulties. First, the project has 8 basement floors, and 37 above-ground floors; second, the site is located in a confined urban area; and lastly, it had to apply the top-down construction method. This made it difficult to review complex construction sequences, vehicle travel plans, material stacking locations, etc., using only a 3D model.
GS E&C produced a scaled-down model of the structure from the basement level to the eighth floor above ground with the F770. We printed out models of dump trucks, concrete pump trucks, and tower cranes as well, to simulate vehicle movement routes and material placement plans in real life. This made it possible for the site, headquarters, and subcontractors to intuitively understand and share complex information—such as the order of steel installation by floor or the timing of earth retaining wall removal—which are key to top-down construction. As a result, the number of design changes was reduced, and the risk of process conflicts was proactively mitigated.
Meanwhile, the modular wooden house subsidiary, XiGEIST also actively utilizes scale models for customer communication. More than just showing the exterior, XiGEIST offers custom models that allow customers to directly examine the interior layout of a home and plan furniture placement. In addition, GS E&C is printing prototypes of technologies being developed by the Future Technology Institute using the F770. For example, prototypes have been printed for rooftop greening and indoor lighting experiments to demonstrate their performance.
GS E&C is presenting a new direction for the use of small-scale models in the construction field through 3D printing technology. GS E&Chas demonstrated the effectiveness of more thorough design reviews, strengthened communication among stakeholders, and other benefits in realworld projects—successfully reducing project risks while streamlining communication. As a result, architectural models created with the F770 are now being used throughout the entire process—from design and construction to client presentations—and are becoming a key tool in strengthening GS E&C’s competitive edge. Currently, this technology is operated primarily by the BIM team at the Institute of Future Technology, with plans to expand the application of 3D printing to other business units in the future, supported by a growing number of success stories.
