The US and Canada have seen several single-story 3D printed buildings in recent years, but now Canadian 3D construction printing company, nidus3D, has finished the construction of the first two-story building in North America (in Ontario).
Nidus3D used the BOD2 printer from COBOD, one of the world’s leading 3D construction printing companies, whose technology has already been used to print the first two- and three-story buildings in Europe. The BOD2 can print with real concrete with a particle size up 10mm and 99% based on locally-found raw materials. COBOD developed this low-cost solution, which the company calls ‘D.Fab’ in cooperation with the cement company Cemex.
The two-story house is the second structure nidus3D built – the first being earlier this year. The building will have a studio on the ground floor and a residence above, and the area of the building will be 2,300 square feet of mixed-use space. One of the new innovative methods nidus3D developed for the project was a 3D printed horizontal beam, which was printed on-site and lifted into place by a crane.
Manufacturing on Demand
“We have critical shortfall of skilled laborers, and a massive and growing demand for housing all across Canada,” said Ian Arthur, co-founder of nidus3D. “So, if we do not begin to look at new ways of building, we’re never going to catch up. It is part of our core values, to seek solutions to address the housing crisis and to help build affordable housing with the help of 3D printing.”
One of the many advantages of 3D concrete printed houses is that they can be built quickly. The complete building took only 80 hours to print, down from the 200 hours for the first building. Nidus3D is convinced that future buildings will be made even faster.
“Our technology and 3D construction printers enables faster execution of construction projects, as well as more efficient construction at lower cost due to the lower labor requirements and usage of low-cost concrete. COBOD’s 3D construction printers have been used all over the world, and while this two-story building in real concrete is a first and a great success for us in North America, the worldwide success of our technology proves the wide-scale applicability of our technology,” said Philip Lund-Nielsen, Co-Founder and Head of Americas at COBOD International.
You might also like:
3D printing drones, AKA Aerial-AM, developed by researchers: 3D printing is gaining momentum in the construction industry. Both on-site and in the factory, static and mobile robots print materials for use in construction projects, such as steel and concrete structures. This new approach uses flying robots, known as drones, that use collective building methods inspired by natural builders like bees and wasps.
* This article is reprinted from 3D Printing Media Network. If you are involved in infringement, please contact us to delete it.
Author: Edward Wakefield
Leave A Comment