How Do You 3D Print a Building?
and WHY would you do it if you could?
The Proposal
Everyone working in construction has known for a while now that, without solutions, traditional building methods and the construction industry society knows will collapse. Think mining, textiles, automotive, steel, ship-building or any other once-dominant UK industry.
And now, irrespective of the media outlet, the general public is increasingly aware of increasing problems concerning the construction industry. The average UK household is already under strain from all sides and cannot afford badly managed investments.
From a consumer perspective, construction’s inability to keep pace and effectively manage projects has seen materials, energy, lead times and labour costs drastically impact quotes and as a result confidence, trust and ultimately engagement.
In real terms, this has seen total construction new orders decrease by 12.4% (£1.6million) in Quarter 1 2023, with private commercial and private housing new orders down by 22.3% (£773 million) and 18.4% (£607 million), respectively.
As a result, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) — who fall into these categories and make up the overwhelming majority of firms within the construction industry — are becoming insolvent at an alarming rate. Over the same period, corporate growth has been steady (if at times lacklustre) and top-end salaries have continued to increase despite a well-documented slowdown in output.
How bad is it for small firms? Well, in April 2023, 440 construction companies became insolvent in the UK and made up almost a fifth (17%) of all company insolvencies.
As an isolated instance due to an unprecedented global climate, this may be tolerable, but in Q1 2021, the construction industry had the highest number of new underlying company insolvencies (1,712), accounting for 16% of cases.
And in 2019, the construction industry had the largest number of company insolvencies in Great Britain with 3,502, or a fifth, of all insolvencies.
So as the individual companies that make up the construction industry navigate multiple obstacles, how could techniques including additive manufacturing present alternative routes to streamline the process and mitigate exposure to variables outside of their control.
The Solution — AMT
Implementing additive manufacturing technologies (AMT), including media darling 3D printing, allows for high accuracy, improved efficiency, reduced labour cost and increased speed of construction.
The global 3d printing construction market was worth £2.76 billion ($3.42bn) in 2022 and is projected to increase to £420.1billion ($519.49bn) billion by 2032. Between 2023 to 2032, it is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 65.25%.
The current roadmap for construction technology is one of disarray through a combination of, primarily, apathy (from below) and suppression (from above). Most workers are low-skilled with minimal progression opportunities. They are minimally educated and come from poor socio-economic backgrounds. Learning is primarily viewed as a necessity, so the less the better, and this isn’t appealing to anyone outside of a relatively small subsection of white, male, Britain.
Most Construction leaders are the opposite in almost every way. This could be a coincidence, however, should this not be the case, construction 3D printing offers one way for additive manufacturing to bring order to chaos and make projects more efficient and affordable for everyone involved.
While construction 3D printing is still in its infancy, it is clear that it has the potential to change the face of the construction industry by focusing on requirements like eco-friendly techniques and the demand for affordable housing solutions. How this is best achieved depends on demographic and location.
Developed nations are seeing a generational change in consumer responsibility, including Pro-environmental values, increased transparency and accountability driving change. Developing nations view it as an opportunity for mass urbanisation, using a wide range of locally sourced, recycled, waste materials currently generating litter and pollution. This would significantly reduce the influence of international corporations on emerging markets, ease reliance on external supply lines and render many ecologically destructive criminal enterprises like fly-tipping or sand mining obsolete.
The Example — LARGEST 3D PROJECT by COBOD
Europe’s largest 3D construction project is currently nearing completion in Heidelberg, Germany. The project was commissioned by Heidelberg IT Management GmbH & Co. KG — a cloud & data centre provider — and will house the catchily named “Heidelberg IT Server Hotel / Cloud & Data Center”.
Designed and executed by builder and developer, KRAUSGRUPPE, with PERI providing formwork and scaffolding systems and using COBOD’s BOD2, it required only two technicians to build the walls. No hand tools were used to construct the concrete walls. So far, all projections have been met or exceeded, with the only potential delays still possible being the ones reliant on traditional building techniques and materials.
“In this unique project PERI is emphasizing two of the key benefits of 3D construction printing; speed of execution and design freedom…. our technology is capable of carrying out everything from materials savings windmill towers over low-cost residential housing in Africa to architectural office-type buildings in Germany.” — Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder & General Manager, COBOD
Printing the walls took 140 hours, equivalent to 4 square metres per hour, using 100% recyclable mineral concrete. Project partner Heidelberg Materials also incorporated a binder that reduced carbon (CO2) emissions by 55% compared to traditional Portland cement (OPC) buildings. Furthermore, construction took form whilst visitors, including children, walked around the site with minimal supervision. Impossible on a typical site.
To Wrap Things Up
Information historically consumed by industry insiders directly affected by industrial turmoil is now front-page news. From the BBC to the SUN via the Sunday Times, the construction industry’s resistance to change at virtually every level is starting to make the society it serves uncomfortable.
If alternative solutions to traditional concerns aren’t going to be addressed in time, completely alternative methods will be needed, otherwise, soaring costs and plunging consumer confidence will render construction cost-ineffective. This will lead to more firms going under, even less affordable housing and an ever-decreasing pool of labour genuinely wanting a career in construction instead of just a job.
Luckily, construction is still at a potential turning point whereby integration, innovation, digital adoption and transparency assist the workforce.
Without a fundamental overhaul within the next five years, construction will pass that point. The industry will be forced to look towards automation and robotics, eventually replacing the human element altogether.
Let’s make construction work so that workers can continue constructing.
Tom@TradeGraft
TradeGraft — If you don’t know, you should probably check it out.
