The evolution of 3D printing is accelerating rapidly, finding application in various fields such as construction. 3D printing of house structures has been around for many years and is done using large robotic arms, but the new design from Prvok od Burinky represents a conceptual innovation that could have a major impact on the environment.
This house printed in just 48 hours demonstrates the speed and effectiveness of a construction technique that claims to be seven times faster and cost half the cost of building a brick house.
With three rooms and a living area of 43 square meters , the Prvok od Burinky house will be built layer by layer using a robot arm repurposed from the automotive industry. This arm will deposit a specially formulated concrete, made of nano-polypropylene fibers, plasticizers and mixed set accelerators, at a rate of 15 cm per second . The walls will be printed with inner and outer layers, and the center will be filled with insulating material. The structure can be printed in 24-48 hours (this concrete will have the standard hardness of the foundation of the house) and takes about 28 days to fully solidify, to the point where it is as strong as a bridge.
Its self-sufficient and eco-friendly features include a green roof, recirculating shower, and reservoirs for drinking, utilities, and sewer. As a staggering fact, the 3D printed houseboat is expected to have a lifespan of at least 100 years, regardless of the environment. When it expires, the building material can be crushed and reprinted; that is, recycled.
The layout will consist of three rooms: a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. The house is also designed to be partially self-sufficient and is suitable for year-round living. According to the company, the house’s printed casing is three times stronger than traditional concrete.
Its layered asymmetrical walls give an idea of what a future 3D printed home aesthetic could look like: free-form, without the need for right angles or straight lines. Almost like a cave in a 16-bit video game.
The applications are limitless, from the private home to commercial or tourist use . One idea is to make houses on floating docks to increase the construction area in cities like Belgrade, Hamburg and Canadian cities. The asymmetric design and process will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% compared to equivalent brick construction. Plus, you’ll use less polluting material in construction and produce less waste during demolition.
“Compared to conventional brick buildings, 3D printing also generates up to 20% less CO2 emissions, which the European Union aims to reduce by 30% by 2030 (compared to 2005),” added Libor Vosicky, CEO. of Burinka. “It only takes about 25 workers to print a house (forty less than usual). Prices in series production can reach half the cost of a conventional house. Self-sufficiency offers greater savings in operating costs. “
The construction of 3D printed houses has been trying to take off for several years, but it is still in an embryonic stage. In addition to how quickly it allows structures to be built, ultimately you also need to be super flexible in terms of custom floor plans and exterior layouts, as long as the layered look doesn’t matter. So we will see how this interesting bet progresses.
