The U.S. Department of Defense is constructing three barracks at the Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas that will each be the largest 3D-printed structures in the Americas.
Each building will be larger than 5,700 sf and the project is expected to be completed within 10 months. Army brass say the 3D building technique saves labor costs, reduces planning time, and increases the speed of construction.
The buildings will be the first 3D-printed structures that comply with new DOD Unified Facilities Criteria for additive concrete construction. The Unified Facilities Criteria did not previously include specifications for 3D-printed concrete wall systems.
Until the new rules went into effect, companies that used 3D printing could not bid on DOD construction projects. The material used in the construction is ICON’s proprietary Lavacrete, which is a type of high-strength concrete with a compressive strength of 2,000 to 3,500 pounds per square inch, according to ICON. Lavacrete can withstand extreme weather and greatly reduce the impact of natural disasters, DOD says.
Related Stories
| Nov 16, 2012
Voters approve fewer construction ballot measures in 2012 than in 2008
Voters passed fewer ballot measures related to construction projects this year than they did in 2008, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America.
| Oct 18, 2012
Utah contracting firm challenges state immigration law
Universal Contracting LLC of American Fork, Utah, has filed suit challenging the constitutionality of Utah’s 2011 immigration law.
| Oct 18, 2012
More than 65,000 construction, design jobs may be cut if sequestration takes place
About $2 billion worth of construction and design projects would be eliminated if scheduled federal budget cuts, referred to as sequestration, take effect on Jan. 2, 2013.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bill promotes investment in commercial, multifamily retrofits
The Commercial Building Modernization Act recently introduced in the Senate would extend and streamline a current tax deduction to encourage commercial and multifamily residential building owners to perform comprehensive energy-efficient retrofits.
| Sep 26, 2012
Automatic budget cuts in January would slash federal agencies' construction budgets
Sequestration, or the implementation of automatic budget cuts as of January 2013, would slash government agencies' already reduced construction budgets further, and require agencies to shelve some repair and maintenance projects.
| Sep 7, 2012
Lorain, Ohio considers halting downtown construction while it works out development plan
Construction would stop downtown for six months while Lorain, Ohio officials consider a development plan for the city, according to new legislation.
| Sep 7, 2012
Business, labor groups push for easing of California’s Environmental Quality Act
Business and labor groups have combined forces to push for a change to California's Environmental Quality Act, specifically its complex review process for building and construction projects.
| Aug 30, 2012
Federal government cancels defense contracts worth $2.15 billion
This action may foreshadow federal spending cuts scheduled for year's end if Congress takes no action on the federal budget.
| Aug 30, 2012
Georgia drops LEED wood source standard on state projects
Currently, LEED green building standards only accept timber products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
