Posts tagged: Construction 3D Printing

As a country that experiences upwards of 500,000 earthquakes every year, Japan is correct to have highly stringent building requirements. These requirements—the New Anti-seismic Structure Standard from 1981 in particular— ensure that only buildings with earthquake-resistant structures are erected. In a milestone for the emerging construction 3D printing sector, the first two-story 3D printed home has been approved by Japan’s government based on these standards, demonstrating that reinforced 3D printed concrete is a valid construction material for earthquake-resistant homes.

Russia’s State Duma Committee on Economic Policy has prepared a proposal to establish an experimental legal regime for 3D printing in construction, Russian newspaper Vedomosti has reported.

SCG has completed a 3D printed pedestrian bridge spanning Bangkok’s historic Ong Ang Canal, marking one of Thailand’s first uses of large-scale digital fabrication for public infrastructure. The project, finished in 2025 under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s canal revitalization program, combines architectural innovation with local cultural references and sustainability-focused materials research.

A team led by construction robotics startup X-Hab 3D has completed the structural walls of a 3D-printed concrete home in Nome, Alaska — a first for additive construction in the region’s extreme coastal climate. Located on the edge of the Bering Sea, the site posed significant logistical and environmental hurdles, offering a real-world test of automation in remote housing applications.

Located right in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, the West Texan city of Marfa is something of an oasis. The city, known for its fertile contemporary arts scene, will also soon be home to a community of 3D printed villas thanks to a collaboration between Houston-based 3D construction company HiveASMBLD (formerly Hive3D), local developer Marfa Optimists LLC and architecture firm DeMaria Design, which specializes in innovative design and sustainability.

HiveASMBLD, a Houston-based automated 3D printed construction company, has partnered with Cole Klein Builders and The City of Houston to create Zuri Gardens, one of the world’s first large-scale affordable housing developments produced using 3D printing technology.

ICON, a 3D printing construction technology company, has released for sale three one-bedroom homes in Austin’s mixed-use, mixed-income Mueller community as part of the Mueller Affordable Homes Program for income-qualified individuals. These resilient, energy-efficient 650 square foot homes will be built alongside nearly a dozen two and three-bedroom 3D printed homes, all designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture.

JR West, JR West Innovations, and the Japanese 3D construction printing company Serendix have unveiled plans to build the world’s first 3D printed train station. This revolutionary project, set to debut at Hatsushima Station in Wakayama Prefecture, marks a major milestone in railway construction as Japan looks to address challenges from its aging workforce.

ICON, one of the leading construction 3D printing companies, has partnered with the architecture firm Michael Hsu Office of Architecture and the developer Catellus to 3D print a dozen two-story residential homes in the Mueller community in Austin, Texas. Additionally, a selection of one-bedroom homes will also be coming soon within the Mueller Affordable Homes Program.

The German company Putzmeister Group is expanding its expertise in concrete pumping to increase its investment in bringing large-scale, industrial-grade 3D printing solutions to the construction industry. With the launch of its new brand, INSTATIQ, the company is taking a major step toward making 3D concrete printing accessible to the mass market.

Sustainable Concrete Innovations (SCI), a home building company catering to the state of Ohio, USA, has partnered with CyBe Construction, a 3D construction printing (3DCP) technology company from The Netherlands, to provide the region with access to 3DCP – creating affordable housing and expand homeownership opportunities. After establishing operations in Ohio and investing in the CyBe RC 3D concrete printer, the company plans to extend into neighboring states like Michigan and Indiana.

Contour Crafting Corporation is the company that invented extrusion-based construction/concrete 3D printing. Although it is not very proficient in marketing its activity, the company founded by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis continuously set the benchmark for innovation and efficiency in the field. After over three decades of expertise, CC Corp is now introducing the D-Crafter machine, which represents a significant leap forward in large-format 3D printing systems.

Serendix, a Japanese 3D printer housing company (construction 3D printing service provider), has acquired three new printers, significantly expanding its printing capabilities and aiming to double its production volume.

Havelar, a newly established Portuguese company in Porto, founded by experienced building materials suppliers, architects, and financial organizations, has just completed the execution of Portugal’s first 3D printed house. Located in the Greater Porto area, the two-bedroom, 80m² house was printed using the BOD2 printer from COBOD, in just 18 hours. The house was designed in collaboration with renowned architects Aires Mateus, Glória Cabral, and Francis Kéré.

Holcim, a concrete 3D printing company, has completed Switzerland’s first onsite 3D printed building – a showroom for Kobelt AG, a company renowned for its construction and renovation services since 1964. Kobelt AG, facing space limitations in their current offices, sought an innovative solution and turned to Holcim’s cutting-edge 3D construction printing technology – marking a significant shift for the company, which is traditionally known for wood constructions

Contour3D, a 3D construction company based in Sydney, NSW, has unveiled Australia’s first 3D printed one-bedroom home with a Full Occupation Certificate.

In countries and areas like the US, Canada, China, Russia, the Middle East or Africa, the enormous availability of land often clashes with insufficient housing. New technologies such as 3D printing can help build houses better, cheaper, more sustainably and faster. For this reason, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced an over $600 million package that will research and develop new ideas and technology like prefabricated housing factories, mass timber production, penalization, 3D printing, and pre-approved home design catalogs.

Constructions-3D and Sika set a new world record with the construction of the tallest building ever made using 3D concrete printing technology. This project, realized in partnership with and using Sikacrete-733 materials from Sika, marks another milestone in the history of construction and 3D printing technology.

D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder by volume in the United States, has made a strategic investment in Apis Cor, a manufacturer of construction 3D printing robotic technologies. The two companies plan to work together on a multi-unit construction project in South Florida after the finalization of the new 3D printed wall system, which Apis Cor estimates will result in a significant increase in productivity.

According to multiple reports on Arab language media, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has officially completed and unveiled the World’s first partly 3D printed mosque, a gigantic and majestic structure in Jeddah. The project was conducted using four construction 3D printers from the Chinese company Guanly, and coordinated by their regional representative BuildTech Innovations.

PrintStone 3D, a Dubai-based company specializing in 3D printing technology for construction, has received accreditation from the Dubai Municipality for the first 3D building system. This accreditation comes after the successful completion of the 3D printed Gate House in a residential community of one of the leading real estate developers in Dubai. The approved technical conditions for PrintStone’s 3DCP technology are valid for one year from the date of issuance.

Presented in 2021, the Tor Alva – White Tower («Weisser Turm») is an over 24-meter tall building that is 3D printed using concrete extrusion. Designed for Fundaziun Origen, the tower offers space for art installations and for music and theater performances. Visitors ascend a spiral staircase through a series of colonnades to reach the stage of the high, vaulted hall on the top floor.

3DXB Group, a leading UAE construction 3D printing company, has reportedly achieved a Guinness World Record for the largest 3D printed villa, located in the Al Awir 1 area of Dubai. The company created the four-meter-high, 303-square-meter residential villa in one seamless printing session.

Hive3D Builders, a Texas-based construction company, has 3D concrete printed the ‘Las Casitas’ rental units in the old town of Round Top, in Texas. The newest addition brings an interesting dynamism to the town – with the new-age buildings contrasting with the rest of the traditional architecture, including historic buildings, and antique and vintage stores, of the town.

Germany’s first publicly funded, 3D printed, multi-family house is being constructed in the North Rhine-Westphalian city of Lünen. For the first time, the construction method is being combined with the conditions of public housing subsidies.

According to the Qatari News Agency (QNA), the pavilion of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) TASMU (SMART Qatar) has entered the Guinness World Records Book as the longest independent concrete structure built using 3D printing technology.

Progreso, a leader in Central and South America’s cement industry, has inaugurated Guatemala’s first-ever 3D printed building, through its corporate accelerator, Progreso X. The milestone was achieved in collaboration with Danish 3DCP Group, utilizing COBOD International’s BOD2 construction 3D printer.

Construction hardware specialist Putzmeister presented many innovations relating to the construction site of tomorrow at the bauma fair in Munich. The German company is looking at construction 3D printing technology to address low productivity and the shortage of skilled workers, particularly by introducing the mobile and highly automated KARLOS 3D printer.

The renovated N243 highway between Alkmaar and Koggenland was officially opened. Over the past years, extensive work has been done to redesign the Schermerhornerweg, Middenweg, and Noordervaart (N243). With these adjustments, the road has been made safer, given a ‘greener’ appearance, and is now ready for many more years of use. For this project, Saint-Gobain Weber 3D printed three different bicycle bridges in their industrial 3D production line in Eindhoven.

According to India’s ETGovernment.com, Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General of Border Roads, recently inspected the under-construction Himank Air Dispatch Unit, which is set to be the world’s largest 3D printed campus (and was built using COBOD technology).

According to the Jerusalem Post, Israel-based Ackerstein Industries, a frontrunner in producing eco-friendly concrete solutions for infrastructure and industrial construction, is expanding its innovative efforts into 3D concrete printing.

Emergent, a pioneer in advanced construction technology, has completed the first 3D concrete printed (3DCP) home in California. The event marks a significant milestone, with the property conforming fully to the state’s stringent building codes – the most rigorous in the United States, driven among others by regional seismic activity.

Infrastructure is emerging as a key area of development for concrete 3D printing. Cambridge researchers, working in partnership with industry and specialist companies like Versarien, have helped develop the first 3D printed piece of concrete infrastructure to be used on a National Highways project. The 3D printed structure – a type of retaining wall known as a headwall – has been installed on the A30 in Cornwall, where it is providing real-time information thanks to Cambridge-designed sensors embedded in its structure. The sensors provide up-to-date measurements including temperature, strain and pressure. This digital twin of the wall could help spot and correct faults before they occur.

According to Gulf News, the Dubai Municipality has officially announced the issuance of the first construction license for a privately-owned villa utilizing 3D printing technology. The villa, to be situated in the Al Awir 1 sector of Dubai, will be fabricated in one continuous printing process, as per the municipality.

CyBe Construction, a leading provider of 3D concrete printers, and the South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF) have joined forces in a collaboration aimed at tackling the pressing housing shortage in South Africa. The joint effort will leverage innovative 3D concrete printing technology to deliver faster, cheaper, and more sustainable homes. This strategic cooperation comes in response to the urgent need for affordable housing, and represents a significant step toward achieving the United Nations’ goal of providing safe and accessible housing for all by 2030.

With a new project that showcases 3D construction printing’s potential beyond low-rise residential housing, utilizing COBOD‘s BOD2 printer, PERI started working on Europe’s first 3D printed public building: a football clubhouse. The 330 sqm (3.550 sq ft) structure of the SC Capelle football clubhouse has 2 floors and will be printed in 140 hours.

Kelvin6k, the creator of ‘the world’s most affordable construction 3D printer’, is revolutionizing the construction industry with its cutting-edge robotic and sustainable construction solutions. The company’s crowning achievement to date is the construction of India’s first onsite 3D printed building – using a “Made in India” 3D printer – a 300 square foot office that was erected in just ten days using their proprietary construction technology.

Printed Farms, known for – among others – completing Florida’s first permitted 3D printed house in Tallahassee, successfully completed the world’s largest 3D printed building, a luxury horse barn. Printed Farms used COBOD’s BOD2 construction 3D printer for the job.

A groundbreaking initiative to rebuild Ukraine has commenced in Lviv, Ukraine, where the humanitarian foundation Team4UA, together with the Danish 3DCP Group using COBOD’s BOD2 printer, have completed the 3D printing of a building that will be used as a school, the first such project in Europe.

Barberio Colella Architetti (Maurizio Barberio and Micaela Colella) + Angelo Figliola, and Zheng Hui Chen designed a new footbridge to be installed over the Fuxi River in Moganshan Town, China. The project named Flowin’, set to be completed in 2023, will use robotically 3D printed thermoplastic formwork and 13 cubic meters of ECOPact concrete material from Holcim.

Siam Cement Group (SCG), the largest and oldest cement and building material company in Thailand and Southeast Asia, has completed the first two-story 3D printed building in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – in the form of a medical center. The center boasts a total floor area of 345m², is located in Saraburi, Thailand, and was constructed using a COBOD BOD2 3D concrete printer.

A recent study by COBOD International has found that there are 129 3D printed buildings spread over 105 distinct construction sites, globally – 40% (51 buildings) of which exist thanks to COBOD’s 3D construction printers. The company with the second highest number of 3D printed buildings is Icon, with 15 3D printed buildings, followed by Winsun, Cybe, and xtreeE – each being responsible for the construction of five 3D printed buildings.

Hospitality visionary Liz Lambert and her team have joined forces with ICON, a leader of advanced construction technologies pioneering large-scale 3D printing, and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, a world-renowned architecture firm, to reimagine and rebuild El Cosmico, currently a 21-acre unique campground hotel in Marfa, TX.

Black Buffalo 3D Corporation (BB3D) has been awarded the gold Global Innovation award at The Nationals, presented by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The award is in recognition of providing the first 3D printed construction solution to comply with the International Code Council Evaluation Service’s (ICC-ES) standards for structural walls – ICC-ES AC509. The NAHB Global Innovation award recognizes the most advanced and cutting-edge original products, services, homes, communities, and champions of the building industry, worldwide. This year had the largest pool of applicants, with over 70 companies competing for the Gold Award.

Diamond Age, a full-stack robotics innovator with the mission of using automation to make homeownership more affordable, has recently been revealed as the creator of the technology that was used to print Century Complete’s Mountain View Estates in Casa Grande, Arizona. The 3D printed homes are the first to be created using Diamond Age’s Factory-in-the-Field technology.

The Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD) has announced its plans to build the world’s first 3D printed Mosque. The construction of the 2,000 square meter mosque, in Bur Dubai, is expected to start in October 2023, and have the capacity for 600 worshippers by early 2025.

Century Communities, one of the top US homebuilders and an industry leader in online sales, has launched its first community of 3D printed homes, under the Century Complete brand. The new homes infuse signature floor plans with smooth interior and exterior concrete composite walls that offer durability, sustainability, and noise reduction in a stylish yet traditional architectural package.

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.

Approximately 200 miles north of San Francisco, surrounded by national forests, lies Redding with its population of 100,000. Not one of California’s most famous locations, the city was affected by the numerous forest fires that hit the city. Redding is experiencing more than 100 fires per year. The Redding area got hit the worst in 2018 in the Carr fire, where 1,100 houses were lost to the fires, 270 of these directly in the town of Redding. Neighboring Paradise lost more than 11,000 homes, causing damages of 16 billion USD and 85 fatalities.

Europe had it first 3-story 3D printed building made in Germany by PERI using COBOD technology in 2021, and now Asia also has one. While North America may lead the development in terms of the amount of new 3D printed buildings, Europe and The Middle East are clearly leading the way in the use of 3D construction printing technology to create larger and larger buildings. With its 9.9 meters in total height, the Dar Al Arkan villa in Saudi Arabia is the tallest on-site 3D printed building in the world.

CyBe, a global leader in 3D concrete printing with proprietary hardware, software, and printing materials, is collaborating with Lab040 in Eindhoven to create the first-ever, 3D printed, four-story apartment.

Borneo, known for its orangutans and other wildlife, is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, with more than an estimated 15,000 plant species found in its rainforests. Unexpectedly, this large Asian island now has its first 3D printed house – a testament to the technology’s potential and reach. In Sarawak, the Northern coastal part of Borneo, which is more urbanized than the rainforest-covered center, the large concrete pre-casting company Sarawak Consolidated Industries Berhad (SCIB) recently revealed the company’s first 3D printed demo house.

According to ITV News, the UK is expecting its first housing development – created using 3D construction printing (3DCP) technology – to be built in Lancashire. The eco-friendly homes, in Accrington, are expected to house homeless veterans and low-income families throughout 46 properties that can each be ‘printed’ in a matter of weeks.

Europe’s first 3D printed office extension has opened in Hausleiten, Austria. The project, first announced in October last year, is a result of a collaboration between the construction technology group STRABAG and the scaffolding and formwork manufacturer and 3D concrete printing pioneer, PERI. The building, printed with a BOD2, COBOD’s best-selling 3D construction printer, is a 125m² office extension to an existing building in Hausleiten.

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).

The city of Huntsville, AL, is a burgeoning technology town that is home to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as well as facilities for the Department of Defense. It is a community that is continuing to flourish. Downtown Huntsville is on the move with the redevelopment of Big Spring Park, which is home to new hotels, entertainment venues, and bars and restaurants. Part of that revitalization included renovations to the Monroe Street parking garage, across the street from the multi-purpose Von Braun Center. The parking garage provides event parking in the evenings and on weekends, and office workers use it during the weekdays. To achieve their goal of an attractive and dynamic façade for the garage that would make a bold statement, architects ultimately turned to Branch Technology and its game-changing approach to 3D printed facades for commercial construction.

In its effort to always be one step ahead of mounting competition, the current construction 3D printing industry leader COBOD has released the first-ever construction 3D printer configurator app, available on iOS and Android as well as a web app on the company’s website. The configuration looks to make construction 3D printing more accessible and more fun, in the era of 3D Construction 2.0. It’s a blast.

Dior opened a pop-up store at Jumeirah beach in Dubai. The initiative, which coincides with the Expo currently underway, included two 3D printed pavilions created in collaboration with Italian 3D printer manufacturer WASP and set up at the Four Seasons Hotel in Nammos.

PERI, the company that built the first multi-story 3D printed buildings in Germany, is now working on Austria’s first 3D printed building, using a BOD2 construction 3D printer, in Hausleiten, Lower Austria. The project is conducted together with Austria-based STRABAG, one of the largest construction companies in Europe.

Dutch technology provider CyBe Construction and Curaçao concrete expert Betonindustrie Brievengat (BIB) are joining forces for a strategic partnership. At the end of September, three operators of BIB will be trained by the team of CyBe to operate the purchased 3D printer. This is through a 10-day on-site training during which the first two buildings will be printed in the island of Curaçao, the first-ever 3D construction printing initiative in the Caribbean archipelago. These two buildings will serve as office space and café in Willemstad, the capital city of Curaçao.

Apis Cor, a company known for its unique construction 3D printing technology, has introduced Impreza, the first and only 3D printed home (project) to participate and win an award in a Space Coast Parade of Homes. Impreza received the HBCA Parade of Homes Diamond Award and was selected as a virtual entry among the top 20 projects.

Danish construction 3D printer company COBOD, the current segment leader in Europe, recently entered the US market via a partnership with Printed Farms in Florida. The company is now expanding its footprint in the US to address the widespread lack of affordable housing in partnership with the non-profit organization Habitat for Humanity. In US market COBOD will be squaring off with current local leader ICON.

The Austrian startup Printstones has been developing mobile robotic systems for 3D printing since 2017. After completing more than 100 pilot projects the young firm has now revealed a new prototype: Baubot. This new robot has a modular design approach and is open to external inputs for innovation. The stated goal of the tech company is to bring any tool into any location and utilize it there. This means that 3rd parties can develop and add their tools and applications to the mobile robot. Developers can use an SDK as an interface to the robot’s functionality.

Please note that this is a satirical article published on April 1st* for April Fools. If you’d like to learn more about real construction 3D printing advancements, see our Construction 3D Printing AM Focus eBook.

A new video published by 3dpbm’s contributor Jarett Gross explores the concept invented by an interesting Russian startup called Printed Dome. that developed a proprietary construction 3D printing approach to make—you guessed it—3D printed domes.

Mitch Lewandowski, Branch Technology‘s Chief Commercial Officer, had been hinting at a major project for some time. It has now finally been revealed that it’s not just one project but at least two, and possibly more, and they are both massive in size: a 3D printed facade for the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union building and exterior wall panels for the Center of Engineering, Technology, Arts & Sciences at the Chattanooga State Community College.

Black Buffalo 3D Corporation, a leading provider of large scale 3D printers for construction and a member of HN Inc.—formerly Hyundai BS&C Co. Ltd.—has successfully collaborated with the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) to revise its ICC-ES AC509 criteria. This update enhances the acceptance criteria (AC) for 3D Automated Construction Technology for 3D printed concrete walls from single-story building construction to multi-story building construction.

SQ4D has listed for sale the first 3D printed home in the United States. This residential property, printed on-site using SQ4D’s Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS), is the first commercial 3D printed house slated to receive a certificate of occupancy and is listed on MLS for sale as new construction for $299,999.

Printed Farms is the first organization in the United States to get a Cobod Bod 2 Concrete 3D Printer. I got the chance to check out a job site of theirs near West Palm Beach, Florida. This project is a 30×30 agricultural building that will ultimately serve as storage for equipment that the owner has to manage their many horse stables.

A study published by researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa presented a first and comprehensive microstructural investigation of construction 3D concrete printing porosity using X-ray computed tomography to visualize and quantify porosity, pore sizes, shapes and distributions in extrusion-based 3D printed concrete.

At the BAUTEC conference in Berlin, Italcementi presented a new concrete mixture developed specifically for construction 3D printing applications. The new mixture is developed to be fast setting, in order to enable deposition of more complex geometries, and also more sustainable, in line with the company’s targets for more sustainable construction processes.

Last week, at the International Bautec construction exhibition in Berlin, visitors were given the unique opportunity to see a house being 3D printed each day. Danish construction 3D printing company COBOD and its partner PERI Group undertook the ambitious project to demonstrate how the BOD2 construction 3D printer is capable of printing a house in less than 24 hours.

US-based Pikus Concrete is teaming up with Sika to commercialize 3D concrete printing technology in the construction industry and to capture its vast potential. Pikus’ first 3D concrete printer with Sika technology has commenced operation in Lehi, Utah. The company is working on implementing the technology in the first construction projects. This marks the first time a construction 3D printing deal involves two well-established commercial construction companies. Previous projects have generally involved at least one startup or government investment entity.

In the past, we have often seen ambitious conceptual ideas for 3D printed buildings – even skyscrapers – draw much hype but never see the light. This is no longer the case. The recent concept of a floating 3D printed concrete house has already begun construction, now a new concept for 3D printed observation tower – named Supernatural Concre(a)tion may follow suit, as the project from Dubai-based studio Nyxo is actually a blueprint that covers every detail.

A two-story house was 3D printed at Kamp C, the provincial center for sustainability and innovation in construction, in Westerlo, Belgium, using the largest 3D concrete printer available. The house, part of the C3PO project, has an area of ​​ninety square meters and was 3D printed in one piece with a fixed printer. It’s the first such project in the world.

LTG Lofts to go, and Black Buffalo 3D Corporation, a Big Sun Holdings Group company and member of Hyundai BS&C family of companies formed a strategic partnership to advance production, distribution and availability of 3D printed mobile housing and commercial spaces across the globe.

A consortium of companies that operate in the construction and in the construction 3D printing area are participating in a selection in Holland to present new concepts for automated production of 3D printed circular viaducts, as part of the HONEYCOMB project.

PERI GmbH is building the first 3D printed residential building in Germany, and precisely in Beckum, North Rhine-Westphalia. The two-story detached house with approx. 80 sqm of living space per floor is being built with a COBOD system that PERI uses to provide 3D printing construction services. This segment is booming way beyond anyone could have imaged (except us: three years ago, when only a handful of companies were active, we forecast a €40 billion dollar industry by 2027, among general skepticism)

Twente Additive Manufacturing is a 3D printed concrete startup with a presence in the Netherlands and Canada. They sell a range of concrete printers and also print on demand for projects that make sense logistically. TAM’s next high profile construction 3D printing project is the Fibonacci House.

In anticipation of the 2024 Olympic Games, Plaine Commune Grand Paris has awarded the Freyssinet / Lavigne & Cheron Architects / Quadric / XtreeE / LafargeHolcim consortium the design-build of a 40-meter pedestrian footbridge in Paris whose deck will be entirely made of 3D printed structural concrete.

Yes, we write about 3D printing but we are by no means obligated to only write about 3D printing. We can just as easily cover competing, synergistic or similar technological approaches. Especially when they are as fascinating as the LightVault created by Princeton researchers using robots to deposit glass bricks. And who’s to say that bricklaying is not an additive process anyways?

It’s no longer a secret – if you’ve been following this website – that concrete 3D printing is skyrocketing. As further proof, the technology is now expanding beyond construction, into decorative products and even pranks. Video creator and technology reviewer Jerry Rig Everything turned to Pikus Concrete, developers of a concrete 3D printing system, to play the coolest prank on his best friend, who had recently moved away. How? with a 3D printed statue of himself, of course.

ASU Professor Narayanan Neithalath and four colleagues have been awarded the $2 million 3DConcrete grant from the National Science Foundation to foster collaboration around concrete 3D printing research across more than a dozen countries. Construction 3D printing technology generated these examples shown with Sooraj Nair, a doctoral student in Neithalath’s lab group. The technique offers the potential to change the nature of construction.

On the occasion of World Science Day, LafargeHolcim signed a new partnership with Southeast University in Nanjing, China, where it is sponsoring research into concrete and mortars for on-site construction 3D printing. Leading the way in green building solutions, LafargeHolcim is using 3D printing to make construction more efficient while lowering its carbon footprint, aiming to become a full 3D printing solutions provider.

Since Danish construction company COBOD spun out of 3D Printhuset in 2018, it has made steady advances in pushing construction AM towards the mainstream. In the past year alone, its gantry AM technology has been used for a handful of large-scale projects, including building over three demo houses at the the International Bautec construction exhibition and printing a residential building in Beckum, Germany. Most recently, COBOD’s technology is being used to construct a three-floor apartment building.

Located in the Jiangsu region, the town of Suzhou is a former mining town that has been completely rebuilt, attracting investments from some of the largest construction companies in the world. Old mines have been rapidly transformed into beautiful parks bringing the city to its former glory when it gave birth to several Chinese emperors. As the city moves into the future, one particularly innovative project stands out, conducted by construction 3D printing company Winsun: the very first 3D printed river revetment wall, over 500 meters long, is the largest 3D printed structure ever built.

The government of Dubai today announced another milestone for the UAE city in the area of construction 3D printing. Now, not only is Dubai home to the first 3D printed office building, it also hosts the largest 3D printed two-storey structure in the world. The building, which spans 640 square meters and is 9.5 meters in height, was recently recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Vertico, a Dutch firm that has developed a concrete 3D printing technology, recently demonstrated its capabilities by 3D printing a concrete footbridge in collaboration with the University of Ghent. Not only a feat for its concrete AM technology, the bridge showcases Vertico’s ability to utilize optimized design to reduce material consumption without compromising strength or stress-resistance. According to the Amersfoort-based company, the bridge’s design allowed for a material reduction of 60%!

Winsun Yingchuang Building Techniques (Shanghai) Co. Ltd is working closely with the Chinese Shanghai Academy of Building Research (SRIBS) on standardization of construction 3D printing materials (Ink) and 3D product standards. Professor-level Senior Engineer Ms. Ye Beihong of SRIBS presented the technical results of the research conducted on the additive manufacturing (3D printing) materials (Ink) and other 3D products produced by Winsun (Yingchuang Building Techniques) in Shanghai.

GXN Innovation, an independent research company created by Danish architecture firm 3XN released its future vision for autonomous 3D printers. In this latest conceptual experiment involving additive manufacturing – part of the “Break the Grid” project – the firm was supported by the Dansk AM Hub, a government-supported Denmark’s platform that supports experimentation in additive manufacturing, and by MAP Architects. The result is swarms flying and diving 3D printing extrusion systems that can work autonomously to build and repair complex structures on land and in the sea.

Emaar Properties, a Dubai-based real estate developer, is reportedly planning to construct a 3D printed home in the UAE city. The project will mark Emaar’s first foray into 3D printed housing and its first step towards becoming a “leading adopter of advanced construction technologies.”

CyBe Construction, a Dutch specialist in concrete 3D printing, has been selected as the technology provider for a 3D printed house project in the UAE. The house will be built as part of the Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) initiative which aims to 3D print a series of buildings in the area with the goal of transforming the city of Sharjah into an architectural hub.

The construction sector has always been very close to the heart of the Belgian BESIX Group and forms the company’s core activities. In recent years, the construction sector has been working hard on catching up with regard to digitization and innovative tools. This technological progress is mainly in the design and design of buildings and structures. By introducing 3D concrete printing via a KUKA KR QUANTEC robot, BESIX Group has now been taking the next steps towards a digital implementation of projects.

Just weeks ago, Danish 3D printing construction company COBOD International (a spin-out of 3D Printhuset) deployed the largest 3D construction printer on the market to Saudi Arabia. Now, the company has reported that something slightly closer to home is being built using its additive manufacturing platform. Kamp C, the Center for Sustainability and Innovation in the Belgian Flemish province, recently installed the BOD2 3D printer and will soon begin construction of a two-storey building.

Saudi Arabian construction company, Elite for Construction & Development Co., placed an order for COBOD‘s BOD2 construction 3D printer. The system will be delivered by the end of May and the 3D printer will be the first of its kind in the country. It will be the biggest in the world, able to print buildings of 12m (w), 27m (l) and 9m (h)

After years of R&D, German industrial binder jetting 3D printer manufacturer voxeljet has perfected 3D printing for complex formworks and now sees the construction industry as a key growth area for its binder jetting technology in the future. The large format binder jetting process from voxeljet has been proven to be particularly helpful for complex 3D printed formworks, breaking away from traditional systems and their stringent geometrical limitation

Construction 3D printing technology by AMT Spetsavia, one of the most prolific companies in this segment, was used to restore – almost from scratch – a gorgeous water fountain in the ancient Russian city of Palekh, in the Ivanovo region. This marks the first time 3D printing of cement materials was used to work on such a large landmark in Russia and the first largely 3D printed water fountain in the world.

Danish construction 3D printing company 3D Printhuset, known for its BOD housing technology, will, from here on out, conduct all of its construction 3D printing activities through the newly established company COBOD International. The new company, which will be taking on the selling and manufacturing of the recently launched BOD2 construction 3D printer, was founded to meet a growing demand for 3D Printhuset’s construction technology.

Russian company AMT-SPECAVIA recently introduced a new line of construction 3D printers in Yekaterinburg for the INNOPROM international trade show. Among the new machines is the AMT S-500, marketed as being the largest construction printer in the world, and the AMT S-300.

Danish 3D printing firm 3D Printhuset has been granted the first EU patent for a construction 3D printer. The tender was given by Belgian organization Kamp C, which chose 3D Printhuset’s modular BOD2 construction printer.

The ICON 3D printed house was unveiled in March 2108 in Austin, TX and was built using a prototype of the mobile printer that Austin-based ICON is creating for the association New Story and the developing world.

Cement-based construction 3D printing is finding commercial applications in more and more segments. After bridges and houses, it is now time for a 3D printed bar, inside Shanghai’s newest and gigantic Starbuck’s Coffee. This is the first non-US roastery concept store and also the world’s largest Starbucks, not to mention the first (particularly) 3D printed Starbucks in the world.