Harcourt Technologies (HTL), a construction company leveraging 3D concrete printing, is building Ireland’s first 3D printed homes. Using a gantry-mounted 3D concrete printer from COBOD, HTL is constructing three social housing units at Grange Close, in Dundalk.
“It’s like building a concrete block wall, but the machine lays 50mm layers instead of manual placement,” said Justin Kinsella, Managing Director and Co-founder of HTL. “As architects and engineers, we design the building digitally, and the model guides the printer to extrude the material layer by layer,” The technology accelerates construction, reduces labor needs, and is expected to complete the homes three times faster than traditional methods, with completion anticipated by October.
Left to right – Patrick Diviney (Commercial Manager, Roadstone), Joan Martin (CEO, Louth County Council), Justin Kinsella (MD and Co-founder, HTL).
Currently, the printer takes about 18 minutes to lay a 50mm layer of concrete around the three-unit block, with hopes to reduce this to 12 minutes in the coming week. “Labor is reduced by about a third, and construction speed is tripled compared to manual methods,” said Kinsella. “The real cost benefit lies in the speed of delivery. Costs can drop significantly if construction time is reduced by 25-30%.” The method is cost-comparable to traditional construction but offers substantial time savings.
Manufacturing on Demand
Training for this technology is already underway. The Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) has acquired its own 3D concrete printer and collaborates with HTL for training at their Drogheda R&D facility. Over 100 people have completed the program. “The technology isn’t autonomous; trained personnel are essential. The machines need human support, making LMETB’s role critical,” said Kinsella.
Once completed, the three-bedroom units will provide homes for three families on Louth County Council’s social housing list. “Louth always aims to be at the forefront, and here we are again with Ireland’s first 3D concrete printed houses,” said Joan Martin, CEO of Louth County Council, noting that other county councils have shown interest in this project – sending representatives to observe the process on-site. “It’s only by seeing it in action that you fully understand it. This is something entirely new.”
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Author: Edward Wakefield
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