A robot with a giant arm, smoothly and methodically twisting and turning, concrete oozing out of its nozzle. This isn’t a Buck Rogers sci-fi episode; it’s 3D printing. Since its inception in the early 1980’s, 3D printing has been used in a variety of industries from healthcare to automotive, and it is on the rise in construction.

Photo 276399343 | 3d Printing © Michalrojek | Dreamstime.com, courtesy of reason.org

Photo courtesy of construction-physics.com, via COBOD

3D printed houses are “structures that are built layer by layer using an industrial grade, 3D printing technology” (Built In.com). The robotic arm precisely pours a cement mixture layer by layer following a digital blueprint and voilà, the walls of a house are printed. The nearly 5-ton machine can build an entire concrete wall system for a home in less than a week, making it several times faster than conventional framing. Typically, the homes will feature curvilinear shapes, and the layers feature rounded edges with a ribbed texture (cnbc.com).

Built at a fraction of the time of traditional construction, 3D printing is also cost effective with reductions in labor and material expenses. Aside from the technicians needed to program the printer, and finishing installers, the reduction in labor costs can be attractive to developers. While the cost varies depending on the hired company and scope of the project, “developers…. report cost savings of up to 30 percent” according to Built In.com.

Many in the industry view 3D printing as the answer to the housing crisis in its ability to build more affordable housing, middle market houses, and shelter for the homeless. “In light of the ongoing housing crisis, 3D printing could prove a time – and cost- effective alternative to traditional constriction for affordable housing” (reason foundation.com). Icon, a 3D technology company at the forefront of this transformative construction, said “it could produce a 600-800-square-foot … building for as low as $4,000 in 24 hours” (Built In.com). In 2021, Zillow listed “the world’s first 3D printed home [1,407-square-foot, 3-bedroom/2-bath, 2-car garage] for sale for $299,999” (Built in). Homeowners can also expect lower energy bills, as concrete’s thermal mass helps regulate temperature.

With construction being responsible for about 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and producing about a third of the world’s waste, according to the World Green Building Council, experts are looking to 3D printing for solutions to address climate issues (abcnews.com). Several companies are experimenting with recyclable materials. Using the estimated 1 million tons of wood waste generated by Maine’s sawmills (abcnews.com), the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures & Composite Center (ASCC) printed BioHome3D using wood waste and corn resin, making it 100% bio-based and renewable. Unlike technology that uses concrete (which can only print walls and needs to be built on site), bio-based materials can be used to print the floor, roof and walls and can also be prefabricated off site, according to Habib Dagher, executive director of ASCC (cnn.com).

Azure Printed Homes has introduced modular living spaces including dwellings on wheels, studios and ADUs robotically printed utilizing plastic waste. These are sustainably built and energy efficient, according to their website.

“House Zero” in Texas, printed by Icon, was designed to “consume net-zero energy and printed in under two weeks”, and was on Time’s Best Inventions of 2022 List (Built In.com). Icon has recently partnered with Lennar, the nation’s second largest homebuilder, to build be the world’s largest 3D-printed community, Wolf Ranch, in Georgetown, Texas. “A combination of the energy efficiency, the practicality, the price point and then the aesthetics” have made the homes so appealing that a second development is being planned (cnbc).

Photo courtesy of Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Photo courtesy of Palari.com

Closer to home, the Palari Group, in collaboration with 3D-printing homebuilder Mighty Buildings, and EYRC Architects, is developing a sustainable community in Palm Springs. This “net-zero development … aims to consume as much energy as it generates” (Built In.com). The design, named “Quatro,” features 3D printed panels using recycled material (not concrete) combined with Mighty Buildings customizable kits of prefab elements (cabinets, bathroom, windows, etc.). The residences are upscale – think smart system automation, quartz countertops, high end appliances – and the “3D process is visible on the homes’ exterior panels where thin vertical ribs were laid down by the … printer” (forbes.com). Basil Starr, founder and CEO of the Palari Group, views this as a selling point as it “adds texture and interest to the box-like design” (forbes.com). According to Palar’s website, the 3D printed frames are five times stronger than concrete and are constructed with a propriety material that resists water, mold, mildew and insects, and are earthquake- and hurricane-resistant.

Solar Futures House, Photos courtesy of Emergent-3d.com

Looking to rebuild after the Carr Fire, Redding, CA became the first city in California to complete an on-site 3D printed house in 2023. Emergent built Wildfire Resolution House, which is “fire-resistant, disaster-resilient and energy efficient,” from sustainable concrete (actionnewsnow.com). They recently partnered with Woodbury University in Burbank to develop Solar Futures House, “a cutting-edge, net-zero micro dwelling, and LA’s first permitted 3D house” (Woodbury.edu).

As exciting as this technology is to the construction industry with its endless potential, it does have its drawbacks. 3D printing requires expensive machinery, making the initial cost a difficult investment for many builders. It also requires a high level of expertise and skill to operate and maintain. Still a relatively new technology in home construction, “there is uncertainty around compliance with local building codes and regulations” (BetterPros.com).

From a mosque in Saudia Arabia to a school in Malawi, advancements in 3D printing are revolutionizing the construction industry around the globe. The technology has the potential to provide a more cost-effective, environmentally friendly, faster platform to build high quality affordable housing, civic structures and communities.

Buck Rogers, welcome to the 21st century!

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