It seems that after the initial outpour of hype for the construction building to adopt 3D printing in pretty much every application, the buzz has died down. We got so excited by the MX3D bridge in Amsterdam and the impressive print times of the homes by WinSun or ApisCor. Where’s our building industry boom? In truth, much of this sector still needs much R&D to be of widespread use: material sciences for printable and reliable cement, building design for printability, construction-grounds automation, even simple order-of-operations. But progress is happening that makes us hopeful. For one, the industry is seeing new players enter the fray, with a Long Island startup boasting to print a house in just 30h. Internationally, we see more projects coming to a close, with China inaugurating a new 3D printed bridge. Permits are being granted and laws are being brought up to speed for new buildings to finally start rolling out, which might make the dream closer than one might think.
Can this startup 3D-print a home in 30 hours?
A group of friends on the south shore of Long Island, New York, working under the name S-Squared, think they can revolutionize the way that homes are built, using a self-made 3D printing rig that they claim can lay down a home in a little more than 30 hours. The promised sale price—under $200,000, due to the reduction in manpower and labor costs—would be a game-changer for an expensive market such as Long Island. It would also be a new entry into the wide field of firms seeking to perfect and commercialize the process of mass-producing homes using 3D printing.
“This will be the first time a real house is going to be built with 3D printing,” says Bob Smith, an S-Squared co-founder. “Everyone else has put up sheds.”
Read the full story at Curbed.
China’s first 3D-printed footbridge opens in Shanghai
The span, which opened for business on Friday, was created by Shanghai Machinery Construction Group using materials made by Polymaker, the state-run China News Service reported. On its website, the Shanghai government described the new bridge as an “innovative way to promote 3D printing technology and popularise it in urban construction”.
“It’s both an everyday, practical application and an interactive one that involves people touching and even relying upon … a 3D printed thing,” Polymaker said on its website.
Keep reading here.
Sunconomy To Develop 3D Printed Concrete Homes
Sunconomy, a U.S. construction company, has received permits to build its first 3D printed geopolymer additively manufactured house in Lago Vista, Texas. These homes will include three bedrooms, and two bathrooms with a detached garage, solar, wind, battery backup, and a rainwater catchment system, at an estimated cost of $289,000.
Larry Haines, the founder of Sunconomy, stated, “We will be able to build the structure for a single family house in a day with virtually no waste, and built super strong and providing very low utility costs. Now that’s Sustainable!”
Read more here.
Follow us on Twitter to keep updated on AM & IIoT related news as well as updates to Authentise’s services!
Comments