Comprehensive review of PCM-integrated 3D concrete printing for thermal energy storage: A roadmap towards energy-adaptive and net-zero energy buildings

Abstract

Phase change material-integrated three-dimensional concrete printing (PCM-3DCP) represents an emerging class of additively manufactured structural thermal energy storage materials designed to enable distributed, passive energy management in the built environment. By embedding latent heat storage within architected cementitious matrices, PCM-3DCP systems function as load-shifting thermal batteries that enhance energy flexibility, reduce peak demand, and improve indoor thermal stability without reliance on active mechanical systems. The convergence of nonlinear phase-change thermodynamics with anisotropic, layer-wise printed microstructures introduces complex multiscale heat-transfer and thermo-mechanical coupling effects that remain insufficiently understood, limiting predictive design and large-scale deployment. This review consolidates a fragmented cross-disciplinary synthesis of PCM-3DCP composite advances from materials to performance to provide a unified body of knowledge and identifies relationships between structure-process-property-performance levels to promote PCM-3DCP global adoption & scaling up. Additionally, it proposes a novel strategic framework linking PCM-3DCP innovation, application, and performance with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs), positioning it as an efficient pathway towards net-zero, low-carbon, multifunctional building envelopes that integrate structural capacity with active thermal regulation through architected latent heat storage. Furthermore, an extrusion-based mixture design strategic framework is presented alongside quantitative performance metrics to evaluate lifecycle, thermal properties & thermal energy gains, durability, and economic feasibility of PCM-3DCP composites. Finally, the work positions PCM-3DCP within the broader context of energy transition and decarbonization pathways, outlining current challenges and future research directions toward programmable, climate-responsive structural energy storage systems that support net-zero and resilient infrastructure.