3D-printed buildings bring many benefits to the industry but still face some significant challenges. Learn why they might be the future of sustainable construction.
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3D-printed buildings bring many benefits to the industry but still face some significant challenges. Learn why they might be the future of sustainable construction.
3D-printed buildings have been popping up more frequently over the last few years, but are they a gimmick, or could they be the future of sustainable construction?
As the industry focuses on green construction to alleviate the environmental stresses caused by construction—the sector uses 48% of global energy, depletes natural resources, and is responsible for 38% of global greenhouse gas emissions—construction professionals worldwide are searching for ways to make their efforts more sustainable.
As a result, some companies are turning to 3D printing as a possible solution to the current construction methods to mitigate environmental impacts, reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency, and realise cost savings.
Let’s discuss the benefits and challenges of 3D-printed buildings and whether or not they’re the answer to the problem of sustainable construction.
Compared to traditional buildings, 3D-printed buildings come with some significant advantages.
Even with the benefits 3D-printed buildings can bring to sustainable construction, there are still some challenges to address.
The “Office of the Future,” designed to be the headquarters of the Dubai Futures Foundation, was one of the earlier showcases of what we can do with 3D-printed buildings. It’s a fully functional building equipped with telecommunications capabilities, water, electricity, and AC systems.
The entire crew for the project consisted of 18 people—Dubai officials stated that the project saw 50% reduced labour costs compared to a traditional project of the same scale.
In addition, WinSun, a leader in 3D-printed buildings, believes that 3D printing in construction can reduce labour costs by up to 80% and construction waste by up to 60%.
We believe that 3D-printed buildings have a bright future in an industry trending toward sustainable construction. However, technology still has a long way to go.
Will we see large commercial 3D-printed buildings in the next few years? Probably not, but creating affordable, durable housing with 3D printing in the near future is a realistic possibility—it’s already being done, albeit on a small scale.
As the logistical barriers fall into place and companies begin tackling some of the challenges associated with 3D printing, we expect 3D-printed buildings to become more mainstream in the future and lead the way to sustainable construction by reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and utilizing more sustainable, recyclable materials.
Learn more about making your efforts more sustainable, eliminating on-site waste, and increasing productivity with our free guide to lean practices for construction professionals.
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