Additive Manufacturing in Disaster Monitoring: A State-of-the-Art Review, Applications, Challenges and Future Implications

Disasters (catastrophes) are serious disruptions to a community’s operations that exceed the community’s ability to remedy using its own resources. These disasters have the potential to bring extensive devastation, damage, and human suffering. Individuals as much as natural disasters can create disasters. Disasters are now seen to be the outcome of insufficient risk assessment in academia. These difficulties are the outcome of a convergence of risks and vulnerabilities. 3D printing (3DP), also called additive manufacturing (AM), is an emerging technology that can be utilized in disaster assessment, evaluation, and management. 3DP has been determined to reduce manufacturing inputs and outcomes cost-effectively in markets with small volume, customized, and large production chains. This technology can be used to develop various sensors, robots, and other equipment that can be used to assess and monitor disasters. This chapter mentions 3D printing applications in responding to environmental applications including air quality, alternative energy sources, sustainable manufacturing and water and wastewater. various types of 3DP techniques, their applications and future implementation in disaster management, assessment, and monitoring with a brief background study are mentioned in the chapter.