News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
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.
The two leading standard issuing bodies, ISO and ASTM, already collaborate on the F42 set of standards for additive manufacturing. Now they are releasing the new ISO/ASTM 52939:2023 standard that specifies quality assurance requirements for additive construction (AC) concerning building and construction projects in which additive manufacturing techniques are used for construction.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected ICON, a leader in advanced construction technologies and large-scale 3D printing, to take part in the agency’s 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) capability study. ICON is among a group of 14 performers that DARPA selected through a competitive solicitation process.
According to Penn State University, a research proposal by Benay Gürsoy, assistant professor of architecture, was awarded nearly $50,000 as the 2023-24 recipient of the Stuckeman School’s Collaborative Design Research Fund, which supports collaboration in design innovation. Gürsoy seeks to overcome the challenges of 3D printing concrete structures on indefinite surfaces in an effort to reduce the environmental effects of housing construction.
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.
Construction 3D printing firm Black Buffalo 3D is partnering with Innova Homes Limited, a Trinidad and Tobago-based property development company to bring its technology to the region. Through their agreement, Black Buffalo 3D’s machines will be used to print homes and the companies will create a construction 3D printing training program for students and workers. On top of that, Innova will become a distributor and servicing agent for Black Buffalo 3D in Trinidad, Tobago, Guyana, and offer support to the Caribbean and South America.
In the words of MX3D founder Gijs Van Der Velden, “Wow, end of an era!” The MX3D bridge in Amsterdam was removed this week after a two year permit from the City of Amsterdam ended. In 2021 the City gave MX3D a 2-year permit for the MX3D Bridge project, to study 3D printed infrastructure at one of the busiest crossings in the center.
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.
The R. Buckminster Fuller Dome Home Not-For-Profit and Mighty Buildings, a 3D printing construction technology company, are set to jointly design and develop a new visitor center and museum at the site of the legendary architect’s iconic “Bucky Dome” home. Located in Carbondale, IL, this holds its place on the National Register of Historic Places, and has captivated visitors for decades. The joint project is intended to connect Fuller’s impressive legacy to innovations that represent the future of sustainable building, thanks to Mighty Buildings’ new materials and offsite 3D printing construction methodologies.
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.