While an outdoor swim might seem like a far-off dream to those of us trying to warm up in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s an essential cool-down tactic for Aussies at this time of year, with summertime temperatures in Western Australia soaring above 30°C. Most in the region will be doing their laps in standard in-ground pools, but soon a small number of locals will be able to say they’re swimming in the country’s first 3D printed pool.
The project has been led by construction 3D printing company Contec Australia, which has leveraged its large-scale concrete 3D printing tech to build the structural elements of the pool, as well as an accompanying spa and landscape structures. Like most 3D printed construction projects, the pool has a distinctive curved shape made possible by the continuous deposition of the material. And while curved swimming pools are not an innovation in themselves, the ability to print this form directly—without the need for formwork—is a pretty big breakthrough in the swimming pool world.
Manufacturing on Demand
According to Contec Australia, the 3D printed structural elements of the in-ground pool are water retaining and the entire pool and spa took only two days to print. While more finishing work needs to be done with the 3D printed pool, this time-scale already marks a significant acceleration compared to traditional concrete pool installation processes, which can take up to a month to build.
The 3D printed pool itself was designed by Tristan Peirce Landscape Architects and will serve a three-story residence that is currently being built. The residence appears to also be 3D printed, as Contec says that the ground floor walls of the home were completed in seven days while the upper level took just six days. As Contec Australia
Last summer, Contec completed the construction of Australia’s first multi-story 3D printed home. The Perth-based residence was reportedly printed in just 18 hours using a robotic concrete 3D printing technology. The entire project, from laying the foundation slab to finished home, was finished within just five months. Without the need for formwork or scaffolding, construction 3D printing is proving to be a more economical way of building structures and of realizing previously challenging (and even impossible geometries). In Australia in particular, the technology is offering a possible to solution to labor shortages and ballooning construction costs.
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Author: Tess Boissonneault
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