Will 3D printing become the future of multifamily construction? One Chinese company tested the waters, and completed a building six stories high, designboom reports. Shanghai-based WinSun Decoration Design Engineering Co. also built a French-inspired chateau using the 3D printer.
Both structures are made of fiber-reinforced cement made of waste materials and construction debris. Components of the edifices were prefabricated piece by piece from a printer that is 7 meters tall, 10 meters wide, and 40 meters long. The components were then assembled at the Suzhou Industrial Park.
According to the company, the 3D printing construction method cut material volume by 60%, construction time by 70%, and labor by 80%, compared to traditional construction methods.
3dprint.com has the full story.
Related Stories
Steel Buildings | Apr 6, 2023
2023 AISC Forge Prize winner envisions the gas station of the future
Forge Prize winner LVL (Level) Studio envisions a place where motorists can relax, work, play, shop, or perhaps even get healthcare while their vehicles charge.
Modular Building | Mar 28, 2023
Volumetric Building Companies, a modular manufacturer, designer, and contractor, looks to expand its global presence
The firm wants to break down geographic and regional variances that might impede delivery of its product.
Modular Building | Mar 20, 2023
3 ways prefabrication doubles as a sustainability strategy
Corie Baker, AIA, shares three modular Gresham Smith projects that found sustainability benefits from the use of prefabrication.
Building Tech | Mar 14, 2023
Reaping the benefits of offsite construction, with ICC's Ryan Colker
Ryan Colker, VP of Innovation at the International Code Council, discusses how municipal regulations and inspections are keeping up with the expansion of off-site manufacturing for commercial construction. Colker speaks with BD+C's John Caulfield.
Affordable Housing | Mar 14, 2023
3 affordable housing projects that overcame building obstacles
These three developments faced certain obstacles during their building processes—from surrounding noise suppression to construction methodology.
AEC Innovators | Mar 3, 2023
Meet BD+C's 2023 AEC Innovators
More than ever, AEC firms and their suppliers are wedding innovation with corporate responsibility. How they are addressing climate change usually gets the headlines. But as the following articles in our AEC Innovators package chronicle, companies are attempting to make an impact as well on the integrity of their supply chains, the reduction of construction waste, and answering calls for more affordable housing and homeless shelters. As often as not, these companies are partnering with municipalities and nonprofit interest groups to help guide their production.
Modular Building | Mar 3, 2023
Pallet Shelter is fighting homelessness, one person and modular pod at a time
Everett, Wash.-based Pallet Inc. helped the City of Burlington, Vt., turn a municipal parking lot into an emergency shelter community, complete with 30 modular “sleeping cabins” for the homeless.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 1, 2023
Multifamily construction startup Cassette takes a different approach to modular building
Prefabricated modular design and construction have made notable inroads into such sectors as industrial, residential, hospitality and, more recently, office and healthcare. But Dafna Kaplan thinks that what’s held back the modular building industry from even greater market penetration has been suppliers’ insistence that they do everything: design, manufacture, logistics, land prep, assembly, even onsite construction. Kaplan is CEO and Founder of Cassette, a Los Angeles-based modular building startup.
Affordable Housing | Feb 15, 2023
2023 affordable housing roundup: 20+ multifamily projects
In our latest call for entries, Building Design+Construction collected over 20 multifamily projects with a focus on affordable housing. Here is a comprehensive list of all projects in alphabetical order.
Data Centers | Feb 6, 2023
Modular electric rooms are the new normal
Southland Industries breaks down the prefabrication benefits of Modular Electric Rooms (MERs).