Printers
3D Printing: The Future of Construction
In 2004, Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of South Carolina attempted the first 3D printed wall. Since then, this innovation has exploded and it’s now possible to build a house in just 20 hours! The professor developed an FDM…
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In 2004, Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of South Carolina attempted the first 3D printed wall. Since then, this innovation has exploded and it’s now possible to build a house in just 20 hours! The professor developed an FDM 3D printer, mounted on a robotic arm, that extrudes concrete layers instead of plastic to create a 3D model.
This Contour Crafting technology demonstrated all the qualities needed to use additive manufacturing on construction sites: reduction in costs and waste, faster construction speed, reduction of accidents, complex architectural shapes, and more. His discovery marked the beginning of 3D printing in construction. However, it remains much less used than certain sectors such as aeronautics or medical.
Large scale, industrial concrete printers can create whole house structures autonomously.
Construction giants are quickly realising the potential of of 3D technologies and their impact on the future of construction. The concrete 3D printing market is expected to reach $56.4m in 2021, and with good reason. More and more companies are starting up in the sector to create new, innovative projects. Some are more futuristic, some are very real in the present, such as Apis Cor’s 3D printed house in 24 hours. 3D concrete printing is developing rapidly and relies on different technologies and materials, offering many benefits to its users. The tech is still in its infancy however and is bound by current limitations.
More from the desk
Six other notes from the rest of the bench.
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