News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
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.
For many years 3D printed buildings were just one-floor houses. Then COBOD started working on two- and three-story habitable structures. Now, just after French firm Constructions-3D set a world record for the tallest 3D printed building with its construction 3D printing robotic arm, US firm ICON is getting in on the height game and introducing PHOENIX, its new multi-story robotic construction system.
In an innovative step towards sustainable living and modern architectural design, the Zephyr House project – by Kalbod Design Studio, part of the Kalbod Construction Group – has made significant strides in integrating advanced technology such as 3D printing with traditional architectural elements, according to Amazing Architecture. This initiative, which is expected to materialize at some point in the future, aims to address the need for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly housing solutions in today’s rapidly changing world.
ICON, a of advanced construction technologies and large-scale 3D printing, has released a new suite of products and technologies designed to further automate construction, including a radical new robotic printer that enables multi-story construction, a new low-carbon building material, a digital catalog for residential architecture with more than 60 ready-to-build home designs, and an AI Architect for home design and construction.
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.
A new study from Chalmers University of Technology, in Sweden, and the Wallenberg Wood Science Center, shows how a hydrogel material made of nanocellulose and algae can be used as an alternative, greener architectural material. The abundant material can be 3D printed into a wide array of architectural components – using much less energy than conventional construction methods.
In an initial proof of concept, voxeljet and ParaStruct GmbH have successfully tested the 3D printing of recyclable residual materials from the construction industry. For this purpose, voxeljet’s binder jetting 3D printing technology was used. The material tested was the Ecomould material set from Parastruct GmbH. This material set consists of biogenic production residues from the construction industry and a mineral binder, which was developed by the Austrian start-up.