3D Printing Construction
Why 3D Printing vs. Traditional Construction?
3D printing offers numerous advantages over traditional construction, including:
- Speed: Faster construction times reduce overall project duration.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Lower labor costs and reduced material waste lead to significant savings.
- Customization: 3D printing allows for highly customizable designs, enabling unique and intricate architectural elements.
- Sustainability: Reduced material waste and the use of sustainable materials contribute to environmentally friendly construction.
Why 3D Design Services are Different:
3D architectural design requires specialized skills and expertise due to the complexity and precision involved. The conversion from traditional designs to 3D print-ready models demands a deep understanding of both design principles and 3D printing technology. This rare expertise ensures that the final product maintains the integrity and aesthetic of the original vision while leveraging the benefits of modern 3D printing.
How It Works
01 Design
Modeled in SketchUp or Revit, then sliced into a precise print path with Simplify3D or Cura.
02 Set Up
The printer arrives like equipment, not infrastructure. Ready to print within hours, indoors or on site.
03 Mix
An integrated mixing and pumping system keeps the concrete consistent from the first layer to the last.
04 Print
Walls are extruded layer by layer, with an operator monitoring the print in real time.
05 Finish
Standard trades take over: roofing, electrical, plumbing, and finishes proceed as usual.
Backed by Independent Research
Tested Materials & Structure
Every mix we use is put through standardized testing before it's approved for printing -- extrusion trials, flow-table and setting-time tests, and compression and flexural strength testing on cured samples. Printed beams and wall sections also go through full-scale structural testing, including side-by-side comparisons with conventional cast-in-place concrete.
Certified world wide 3D Print concrete.
Every wall is printed with SikaCrete 733W, from Sika, a global leader in construction chemicals, independently tested and certified to ASTM standards: 7,250 psi compressive strength (ASTM C109) and 1,150 psi flexural strength (ASTM C348) at 28 days, with a 93.5 durability factor after 300 freeze-thaw cycles (ASTM C666).
Production
• Schematic Design
• Design Development
• Construction Document
• Site Plans
• Existing Condition Survey
• Renovations and Additions
Real-World Projects
This technology is already part of new construction for Walmart, including the first 21-ft-tall 3D-printed walls ever built for the retailer (8,000 sq ft), alongside a 1.4-million-dollar custom home and single-family homes currently under construction in Florida.
Air Force Installation and
Mission Support Center
Air Force Civil Engineer Center ballistics experts are working with the Army and Navy to test the durability
and resiliency of 3D-printed concrete wall samples. Concrete material like the wall samples they’re testing
could ultimately be used in building construction in combat areas to better protect our nation’s military. For
that reason, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center public affairs specialist, Brian Goddin, shows
us how this intensive testing is ultimately about protecting the Warfighter.
Zahrat Al-Rimal
House of the Future
Zahrat Al Rimal - A Floating Monument
A House With The Qualities Of Melting, Growing, And Seducing Its Way Into Reality, Almost Like It's Alive And Reacting To Its Environment
Zahrat Al Rimal is a bold example of how visual lightness and structural engineering can combine to create seemingly impossible forms in architecture.
This Architectural Design showcases a Gravity-defying Aesthetic, achieved by a daring separation between the ground and first floors via a Continuous Glass Ribbon that visually “floats” the upper structure. creating a dramatic juxtaposition of solid and void.
The Angled Design, encourages Fluid Circulation, redefining how people see, feel, and move through the space. It's an architectural choice that turns the building into a living, breathing organism.
FAQ
3D Construction - Technical data
• What is Para seismic resistance and earthquake stability?
This topic requires input from a structural engineer. One can draw an analogy that it would belike the behavior of a reinforced concrete wall or a concrete masonry wall.
• What are the structural / load bearing / load-weight ratings?
The structural capacity is like the thickness of a concrete wall without the voids from the aircavity.
• What is the 3D walls fire resistance / fire rating?
This is dependent on the thickness of the concrete used for the wall. Each inch of concrete isequal to 1 hour of fire resistance.Example: an 8-inch Wall is = 8-hour Fire Resistance
• What is the resistance for water penetration and water pressure?
Concrete is resistant to water penetration. It acts as an air and water barrier. An 8-inch-thickconcrete wall will have a perm rating of 0.4 perms. A perm rating is the unit telling us the massrate of water vapor flowing through one square foot of material. In the U.S., a perm is defined as1 grain of water vapor per hour, per square foot, per inch of mercury. A metric perm is definedas 1 gram of water vapor per day, per square meter, per millimeter of mercury.
• What are the wind load resistance levels?
Air Force Installation and Mission Support CenterAir Force Civil Engineer Center ballistics experts are working with the Army and Navy to test the durabilityand resiliency of 3D-printed concrete wall samples. Concrete material like the wall samples they’re testingcould ultimately be used in building construction in combat areas to better protect our nation’s military. Forthat reason, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center public affairs specialist, Brian Goddin, showsus how this intensive testing is ultimately about protecting the Warfighter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPKzxxaGGK4DOD Building Largest 3D-Printed Structures in Western Hemisphere > U.S. Department of Defense > DefenseDepartment News
• What is the resistance to severe weather conditions?
3D printed concrete construction is resistant to high winds. It is also resistant to damage
caused by flooding.
• What are the eco-friendly regulations (% CO2 emission)?
This varies depending on the mix design. Supplementary cementitious materials, such as fly-
ash, slag, foundry sand, and other recycled material may be used. Polymers may be used as
well to reduce the quantity of CO2 emissions. Some work has also been done incorporating soil
to reduce the use of cement as well.
3D Construction - Description
▪ Why is 3D printed concrete construction a time-saving process?
There are less errors during the construction. The work is digitally automated. The layout is
direct from the designer’s digital file. It does not take as much time to manually layout walls
during traditional construction. The time it takes to produce a radial wall or complex shape is
the same as a typical rectangular wall.
▪ Why does 3D printed concrete construction require no formwork?
The concrete is deposited and cures while printing at a rate that allows it to avoid the use of
formwork. This is dependent on the bond strength between each layer that is printed. The bond
strength is dependent on the printing material, speed of printing, vertical nozzle offset, and the
time period between printing each and another layer.
▪ What steps does 3D printed concrete construction save us from in traditional construction?
Layout, formwork building, limits on waste and error all contribute to the efficiency of 3D concrete
printing. Because the use of 3D printed concrete construction is quieter and automated. It is
conceivable to work longer hours on a jobsite than to do so with traditional construction.
▪ When are 3D printed concrete slabs and roofs the best option? When are 3D slabs/roofs not
applicable?
3D printed concrete slabs and roofs are best used for the creation of complex forms. For
efficiency, it is better used as formwork on the edges to contain a slab concrete pour. Or to use
metal decking and flooring to reduce construction time.
https://metaldecking.com/news/types-of-metal-decking-for-concrete/