�ȵ����

There is continual pressure for the construction industry to build faster, cheaper and with less labour than has been possible with traditional methods. Yet while many new technologies and techniques could contribute to this objective, many have been held back due to the industry’s reluctance to embrace them due to perceptions of complexity and lack of training.

Nevertheless, one process gaining increased traction in construction is 3D printing, not only of concrete but of other materials as well.

To this point in time, most 3D printed construction (3DCP) has been limited to smaller, often one-off, projects. However, 3DCP printing is increasingly adapting itself to a wide variety of construction, both large and small.

Construction technology company has already earned a leadership role through its use of 3D printed concrete (3DPC) in a number of their housing developments in Texas. In collaboration with Miami homebuilder Lennar and Danish architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), ICON has built 100 homes at Wolf Ranch near Austin, ranging in price from $450,000 and $600,000.

The company also plans to build several new homes in the Mueller mixed-use community in east Austin as an urban infill project. While 3DPC will be used for the lower levels, the second floors of the two-storey homes will be constructed using traditional methods. ICON will also 3D print five homes at The Canyon Club, a new luxury resort neighbourhood on the shores of the Colorado River northwest of Austin. These will be available for fractional purchase starting in the low-$400,000 range per share versus the 20 available full price homes selling for $2.6 million.

ICON’s homes are  called CarbonX and are rated to withstand 250 mph winds and resist fires for nearly three hours. The printed walls help reduce temperature fluctuations during summer and winter.

Elsewhere, ICON has teamed up again with BIG to build at El Cosmico, a popular 21-acre campground hotel in Marfa, Texas. Scheduled to open in 2026, the design features curvy walls, domes and wild shapes. Such unique design elements are now open to architects since they can be created with 3DPC without significant added costs.

Next year, the company expects to roll out its Phoenix printing technology it says will decrease set up time and cut 3D printing costs by 50 per cent. Phoenix will also be capable of multi-storey construction, from foundations to a height of just over eight metres.

Around the world, 3DCP buildings and structures continue to get bigger.

Bragging rights for the largest 3DCP project might now be headed to a school development in Qatar. Two customized third-generation 3D construction printers developed by , each measuring 50 metres in length, 30 metres wide and 15 metres tall will print a pair of 20,000 m² two-storey school buildings.

3D printing is also being used at a smaller output level to advance construction materials like bricks and blocks.

Miami-based Renco-USA has developed that are a composite made of glass, recycled plastic and other materials to build new homes. Although more expensive than traditional bricks, the company construction costs can be reduced by 20 per cent overall because of decreased assembly time and labour due to their LEGo-like shape. And because the material doesn’t rot or rust and isn’t attractive to pests, costs are reduced.

Elsewhere, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created 3D-printed glass bricks that have a “crush strength” comparable to those of concrete. The strong, multilayered glass bricks are formed in the shape of a figure eight and are designed to interlock much like LEGO bricks. Since glass is a highly recyclable material the blocks could be reused many times over for building facades and internal walls.

Offering efficiency, speed, enhanced sustainability and design flexibility, 3D printed construction in all its forms is poised for a strong future, at a time when the world is challenged by skilled labour shortages and need to create new housing.

John Bleasby is a freelance writer. Send comments and Inside Innovation column ideas to editor@dailycommercialnews.com.