Innovative 3d Printing Applications In Construction Industry

By Author: Aaliyah Choudhry
Total Articles: 10
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Every homeowner these days wants to build custom homes that fit his need and lifestyle. But every homeowner wants to reduce the time and cost of constructing custom homes. That is why; most construction companies switch from conventional traditional methods to modern building construction techniques to increase reliability and speed while reducing costs.

Most of these modern construction techniques leverage 3D printing or additive manufacturing to fabricate both houses and construction parts. Construction 3D printers are currently being used for a wide variety of construction projects – prefabricated houses, bridges, architectural forms, and extraterrestrial structures.

The transformative impact of 3D printing technologies on the construction industry can be determined by the rapid growth of the global 3D printing construction market. According to a market forecast report published by Research And Markets, “The global 3D printing construction market size is expected to reach USD 1,034,096.7 thousand by 2028, registering a CAGR of 91.5% from 2021 to 2028.”

However, construction 3D printing technologies ...
... have been evolving consistently. Construction companies use advanced construction 3D printers to support customization without escalating construction time and cost. Hence, new applications or use cases on 3D printing in the construction industry are being created at regular intervals.

Creating Complex Architectural Shapes

The new-age 3D printers produce three-dimensional structures with complex shapes and geometries based on digital files created using CAD software. Architects already leverage 3D printing technologies to impress clients by designing unique shapes and designs. Further, they can use construction 3D printers to build structures physically with reduced material and labor costs. Many architects already use 3D printers to create structures with varying and complex organic shapes in a short amount of time.

Facilitating Mass Customization

Homeowners have to spend more to build customized and personalized houses. Many architects use 3D printers to reduce the time and cost of building customized structures. 3D printing software solutions make it easier for architects to customize and visualize the project according to the client’s requirements and instructions. They can further make changes to the 3D model by getting the three-dimensional rendition evaluated by the client. Hence, mass customization can be cited as one of the prominent applications of 3D printing in the construction industry.

Popularizing Prefabricated Construction

3D printing technologies contribute hugely towards popularizing prefabricated houses. Unlike traditional houses, prefabricated houses or prefabs are constructed with factory-made components or units transported to the job site. Many construction companies these days use 3D printing software to design customized and personalized prefabricated buildings. Also, they use construction 3D printers to build prefabricated houses with reduced time, costs, and ecological pressure. Many studies suggest that 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize the construction industry by popularizing affordable prefabricated houses.

Increasing Construction Speed

A contractor needs several months to build a residential house using conventional construction methods. Likewise, she needs years to build a commercial building using conventional construction methods. The construction time is often extended due to a variety of reasons. Construction 3D printing enables constructors to print houses in days. The advanced construction 3D printers facilitate the development of prefabricated houses in a few days. Several studies have highlighted the effectiveness of 3D printing in increasing construction speed by 50% to 70%.

Curtailing Overall Construction Costs

In addition to accelerating the construction of residential and commercial buildings, 3D printing technologies reduce overall construction costs in two distinct ways. Firstly, 3D printing helps contractors to curtail labor costs up to 50% to 80% through automation of commercial processes. Secondly, 3D printing technologies reduce material costs by 30% to 60% by minimizing construction waste. Hence, many contractors these days leverage 3D printing technologies to make tailor-made prefabricated houses affordable to many homeowners.

Preventing Construction Site Accidents

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), “One in ten construction site workers are injured every year.” The construction workers sustain injuries due to a variety of accidents. Many construction companies these days protect workers by providing them with proper safety equipment. But many construction companies leverage 3D printing technologies to prevent various construction site accidents. In addition to simplifying construction with concrete, 3D printing technologies help construction companies to protect workers from various accidents.

Reducing and Controlling Construction Waste

According to a report published by Transparency Market Research, “Annual construction waste is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025.” No contractor can reduce construction waste using conventional construction methods. Many construction companies use innovative tactics to prevent construction waste from piling up. But 3D printing technologies make it easier for contractors and builders to solve construction waste problems by reducing material usage and recycling construction materials. Also, they reduce construction waste significantly by supporting lean construction and facilitating prefabricated construction.

Experimenting with New Construction Materials

The construction 3D printing technologies have been evolving consistently. A builder or contractor can use the appropriate construction 3D printer to build structures using a variety of materials. Most construction 3D printers enable users to create structures by combining basic materials like cement, sand, and additives. But many startups have been improving construction 3D printing by adding support for new materials – concrete mix and natural material mix. In addition to reducing construction waste, some of these materials are effective in making houses energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

Facilitating Extraterrestrial Construction

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has already launched projects to build strong and durable structures in space using extraterrestrial materials like martial and lunar dust. These projects use the next-generation construction 3D printers with the capability to print structures using extraterrestrial materials as primary filament. The research and development (R&D) carried out by NASA will soon facilitate the construction of landing pads, habitats, and other structures on the demand using regolith-based 3D printing and onsite materials.

In addition to making conventional construction methods obsolete, construction 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize the extraterrestrial construction process. Hence, new use cases of 3D printing in the construction industry will be created regularly. We have to consider these new use cases to assess and understand the innovative 3D printing applications in the construction industry.

Aaliyah Choudhry passionately believes in making common people familiar with disruptive technologies like 3D printing. She has been highlighting the potential and impact of 3D printing on various industries by writing insightful articles and blogs. She works as a Digital Strategist at Aurum3D, a leading 3D Printing Service Provider.https://www.aurum3d.com