Printing the World
Introduction
While printing pictures of the houses for our school project in the younger years, who would have imagined that printers could print the houses?
3D printing has made the above statement possible as the enormous application in the construction industry can revolutionize the sector. The construction industry has been very traditional when it comes to adopting advanced technologies. The pitfalls of conventional construction methods such as time constraints, a vast workforce requirement, environmental concerns needed a sustainable solution for the industry to bloom. 3D printing is an appealing and lucrative innovation in the construction industry, having a promising future.
What is 3D printing?
3D printing (also known as additive manufacturing) is a process to create three-dimensional objects from a digital file. 3D software like Tinkercad develops the 3D model that is a digital file. This software yield printable files, which are sliced into thousands of layers by slicing software to make them readable for 3D printers. 3D printing creates the product by adding successive layers of material until the object is created, also known as additive manufacturing. 3D printing in construction works the same as regular 3D printers except for the material mix. The material mix is the ink of 3D printers used for construction, which defines most of the characteristics of the structure.
Many different technologies are used to print 3D objects that are broadly divided into Polymer printing and Metal printing. Polymer printing technologies include Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering, Polyjet, Multi-Jet Fusion, Digital Lab Processing, and Fused Deposition Modelling. Fused Deposition Modelling is most commonly used in construction as it works upon extruding the material mix layer by layer to build a platform. Metal printing includes Electron Beam Melting and Digital Metal Laser Sintering, but the use of these technologies is scarce.
Why 3D printing in construction?
The primitive methods of construction have many drawbacks to be addressed by civil engineers. One of the major causes of environmental degradation is construction. The amount of waste generated at a construction site is difficult to manage and results in land and water pollution. Moreover, the noise produced at the construction site is a primary source of noise pollution, but the 3D printing construction sites are tranquil. 3D printing has successfully cut waste and dust in past projects, making it an environmentally friendly construction.
Apart from this, the construction sector has been the most dangerous sector for workers. According to a study by IIT Delhi, around 48000 workers die at construction sites every year, and most deaths are unreported. The workers at the construction sites are at high risk of injuries and health issues. 3D printing is a safe and sustainable solution to the plight of casual workers.
3D printers complete the structures at an outstanding speed, and houses are ready in 24 hours. It can help India in the goal of affordable housing and home for all. Printed structures are economical as compared to traditional structures. Moreover, complex architectural shapes and sophisticated designs can be layered with ease in 3D printing.
Printed Projects
It was no earlier than 2004 when Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of South Carolina built a giant transportable 3D printer and attempted the first 3D printed wall. This printer prints a wall in less than 24 hours. Since then, considerable developments were seen in this field, and many startups have emerged from different sections of the world.
Apis Cor is a San Francisco-based startup, and they have printed a house in Moscow in the record time of 24 hours. They develop mobile 3D printers and mix cement, sand, geopolymers, and fibers. In the construction of the house, they intentionally left a small gap between the interior and exterior walls. They placed fiberglass reinforcements and sprayed a polyurethane-based mixture for insulation. After printing the walls, they assembled the structure on the spot, and the house was ready in 24 hours.
Winsun Decoration Design Engineering is a Shanghai firm that built ten tiny houses in less than 24 hours. In 2015, they constructed a multi-story building that adopts a frame structure and strictly prints according to reinforced masonry standards. This firm has successfully worked out many projects such as Wave Building, Villa in Wuiziang, Dubai Government Office, and many cottages.
In 2014, at World 3D Printing Technology Industry Conference and Exhibition, Qingdao Unique Technology Co., Ltd unleashed the largest 3D printer in the world in the form of a cube of side 12 m. This printer printed the prototype of Temple of Heavens on a square of side 7 m.
Printing Projects in India
India has just started its journey on the road of 3D printing. IIT Madras has been the flag bearer of this journey by launching the startup Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions, which aims at providing quality construction in remote parts of the city. They came into the limelight after developing India’s first 3D printed house, which Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurated. The project’s success depends on the cost in India, so Tvasta has made affordable and sustainable homes. The material mix they used was an ordinary portland cement but with a lower water-cement ratio. They reinforce it with either amorphous metal fibers or plastic fibers, depending on the application. The use of portland cement and not reinforced concrete testifies to the excellence of this startup.
The giant in the Indian Construction industry, Larsen & Turbo, also mend from primitive ways towards innovation. The company has constructed India’s first 3D printed two-story building in Kanchipuram, where OEM COBOD (3D printer manufacturer) supplied the 3D printer.
M. V. Satish, Director & Senior Executive Vice President of Buildings at L&T, said 3D concrete printing could redefine the construction methodologies and boost mechanical robotic construction.
Conclusion
Presently, the construction industry is standing in the wake of a new dawn, awed by the wonders of technology. 3D printing can satisfy the ostentatious and unassuming needs of the industry. This technology slowly tempts many construction giants. We looked at many successful projects in the past, and many other projects are under construction. We are standing at the cusp of the 4th Industrial Revolution, and it is firmly believed that advanced technologies will put the construction industry in a better scenario.
Author: Hunny Singh
