How to 3D Print Houses (And What It Means for the Future of Construction)

What’s one of the most exciting technologies right now? 3D printing. After all, the construction industry is riddled with problems, such as high CO2 emissions, archaic structures, and slow processes.?

What’s more, we need better ways to build houses because of how quickly our cities are growing. By 2045, it’s estimated that the urban population will increase by 1.5 times to 6 billion. Housing needs to become far more affordable and faster to build than it is right now.?

The industry is in dire need of innovation and #3Dprinting is one of the top contenders to reshape the way we construct buildings. Today, it’s used in research development, modeling, the medical industry, and small-scale production runs. Its benefits include both lower costs and higher efficiency in producing highly precise prototypes.?

How the new generation of 3D printers work?

3D printing wasn’t always a strong contender as a disruptor in the construction industry. In fact, the 3D printing industry has evolved a lot since the early days.

3D printing began with restrictive pricing, a limited selection of non-eco friendly inputs, and a constant need for recalibration. It wasn’t really applicable outside of hobbyist applications.?

But these days, 3D printing isn’t limited to plastic or small-scale projects. Instead, the new generation of 3D printers addresses many of the challenges found in the construction industry. The result is the ability to print structures remotely or on-site at a lower cost with greater sustainability.?

Black Buffalo 3D , a company I collaborate with, uses NexCon? 3D printers and offers the ability to print onsite and custom designs. Its technology is capable of printing up to 4 stories of more than 1,500 square feet on each level.

NexCon? 3D printers offer on-site job versatility by utilizing a motion-centric modular gantry design that’s capable of yielding more efficient structures that provide the greatest printable area without sacrificing print quality.?

The cement-based printer ink is created to withstand harsh climates, is recyclable, and is stronger than a block wall. As a result, material and labor costs are reduced by 50%. 3D printing can offer both energy efficiency and affordable housing with lower freight and logistics costs.?

In this video, Black Buffalo 3D Corporation shows what the 3D printing process looks like:

But why is 3D printing so beneficial for the construction industry? Let’s take a look.?

Impact on the speed of construction

It takes, on average, seven to eight months to build a house. 3D printed buildings can be constructed in as little as two days . In fact, 3D printing can mean a 50%-80% reduction in build time.?

At the same time, quality doesn’t suffer. Black Buffalo 3D’s printer ink is an advanced dry mix created for advanced efficiency, strength and durability. Add-ins strengthen, enhance, and improve the aggregate and optimize print speed and material curing time.?

What’s more, 3D printing reduces the risk of human error during construction. So there’s not as much of a risk of delays and change orders.?

Impact on housing costs?

3D printers can offer a 30%-70% reduction in material costs and 50%-80% reduction in labor costs. Some estimates project that 3D printed houses cost 20%-40% less than traditional homes, which cost between $250,000 to $320,000 to build. The cost of building wooden-framed homes can be reduced by 15% thanks to 3D printing.?

In other words, 3D printing can significantly lower housing prices, making it more affordable.

In fact, one of the organizations I work with, Habitat for Humanity International , has started 3D printing houses. Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that builds housing for low-income communities. Learn a bit more about how they use 3D printing to build houses for these communities here:?

Impact on CO2 emissions?

The world needs to reduce emissions by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Considering that the building and construction sector accounts for about 40% of global CO2 emissions , the industry needs disruption… and fast!

3D printing enhances sustainability in construction in various ways. First, waste is reduced by mixing and printing structures to exact design specifications.

Emissions are also reduced thanks to reduced project timelines, lighter transportation loads, and flexibility to print buildings onsite or nearby, which reduces pollution and related fees.?

There are several configurations available, which provide power to select liquid fuel or electric-based printers that run more efficiently than standard construction machinery.?

Finally, sourcing locally available material that is mixed with the construction ink can reduce freight and material costs and possibly make the material more sustainable and better suitable for local conditions, making the building more durable.?

The materials that Black Buffalo 3D uses are more sustainable than traditional construction materials and the proprietary ink can be customized to match temperature, humidity, and altitude-specific conditions.?

What’s your take??

Now you know how significant 3D printing is for the construction industry.?

What’s your take on 3D printing and its potential??

Let me know in the comments below.?