GUtech, the German University of Technology in Oman and a pioneer in construction 3D printing, completed the 3D printing of 3 new buildings in Duqm, 540 km from the capital of Oman, where GU Tech is located. The construction took just 8 days and it represents a performance nobody has matched before for this type of on-location 3D printing.
Dr. Yousuf Al Bulushi, GUtech said: “GUtech has introduced the 3D concrete printing in the sultanate of Oman and shows how we could adopt the newest construction technology and employ it so we can get the most out of it. With the record fast printing in Duqm we have proven the potential of 3D construction printing. We have a huge faith in our Omani expert team, and we are aiming to achieve beyond expected”
The first of the new 3D printed buildings was a world first in the form of a 3D printed commercial coffee shop with a floor area of 81 m2 (871 SF). The total printing time was 22 hours and the GU Tech team managed to finish the construction within three days, allocating eight hours of work per day. The construction has a height of 3,7m (12 feet). Materials consumption totaled 19,6 m3 of concrete made from 99% locally available raw materials and COBOD’s Dfab solution was developed in cooperation with Cemex.
The second new building is a public toilet with a total area of 20m2 (215 SF). The total printing time amounted to 13 hours, divided into two days. The total height of the building is 3,5m (11 feet) and for this construction 10.6 m3 of concrete was used.
Manufacturing on Demand
The last 3D printed building is a Fisherman’s house with an area of 72 m2 (775 SF). To complete the building, GUtech specialists needed only 19 hours of printing, divided into 2 days. This one-story house is 3m (10 feet) in height and to make the building 17,3 m3 of concrete was used.
All the 3D printed buildings were made in cooperation with Teejan, as a general contractor. The buildings were 3D printed with locally available raw materials and the Dfab solution developed by COBOD and CEMEX, which makes it possible to 3D print concrete with 99% locally sourced materials at a very low cost. In total, just 3,600 USD was used for the concrete for the 3 buildings. All buildings have load bearing walls with no columns, roof slabs and 3D printed parapets.
Duqm similar to NEOM in Saudi Arabia, is a new development area, based on several economic, tourism and development zones, which contains a multipurpose port, a dry dock for ship repairs, a fishing port, a regional airport and tourist, industrial and logistical areas.
The authorities of Duqm approved the 3D printed construction method and provided the permits for the 3D printed buildings. Zaid Marmash, head architect and responsible for the Middle East at COBOD said: “I am proud to have co-designed the buildings 3D printed by GUtech and approved in Duqm. With the use of curves and unconventional shapes, the buildings match the futuristic and aspirational nature of Duqm. 3D concrete printing, as well as Duqm, are both very promising, and GUtech is providing the proof that the promises are being realized.”
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ICON awarded $57.2 million from NASA for in-space construction: “To change the space exploration paradigm from ‘there and back again’ to ‘there to stay,’ we’re going to need robust, resilient, and broadly capable systems that can use the local resources of the Moon and other planetary bodies. We’re pleased that our research and engineering to date has demonstrated that such systems are indeed possible, and we look forward to now making that possibility a reality,” said Jason Ballard, Co-Founder, and CEO of ICON. “The final deliverable of this contract will be humanity’s first construction on another world, and that is going to be a pretty special achievement.”
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Author: VoxelMatters
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