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3D print house cement


First-of-its-kind 3D-printed home blends concrete, wood

Pouring layers of concrete like rows of toothpaste, an industrial-sized 3D printer this week continued adding a second floor to a Houston home that will be the first multistory printed structure in the United States.

In addition to that achievement, designers Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, assistant professors of architecture in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning (AAP) and co-principals of the HANNAH Design Office, say the two-story, single-family home is demonstrating innovative construction processes that can be scaled up to multifamily and mixed-use developments, helping to address housing shortages.

Credit: Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic/Provided

A COBOD BOD2 3D construction printer builds structural elements of a Houston home that will be the first multistory 3D-printed structure in the United States.

Their first-of-its-kind hybrid design connects structural elements composed of 3D-printed concrete with conventional wood framing representative of most U. S. residential construction. The combination shows how each material can be used where it works best, with minimal waste, to create buildings that are efficient, resilient against increasingly intense weather events and potentially more affordable.

“Our hybrid construction approach creates a building system that is structurally efficient, easily replicable and materially responsive,” Lok said. “The project also highlights the exciting design potential of mass-customized architectural components to meet homeowners’ needs and to simplify building system integration.”

Added Zivkovic: “These design efforts aim to increase the impact, applicability, sustainability and cost-efficiency of 3D printing for future residential and multifamily buildings in the U.S.”

On Sept. 12, members of the media were invited to observe progress printing the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home that will also feature a two-car garage and a 40-foot chimney – making the home one of the tallest printed structures to date.

The home is being built in partnership with PERI 3D Construction, which has completed six 3D-printed structures in the U.S. and Europe; Houston-based engineering and design-build contractor CIVE; and other building industry partners. The project team continues to seek industry collaborators and sponsors.

For Lok, who leads the Rural-Urban Building Innovation Lab at AAP, and Zivkovic, who leads the Robotic Construction Lab, the project is the latest to emerge from years of research into 3D printing’s potential to enable “mass customization” without increasing costs. They previously experimented with a hybrid design utilizing 3D-printed concrete and upcycled wood for the Ashen Cabin project in upstate New York. Lok’s HoloWall installation on the Arts Quad explored customization using nonuniform building materials and digital modeling tools. Zivkovic's prior research involves the development of new concrete printing methods and robotically fabricated timber components.

The 4,000-square foot Houston project advances that work to a larger scale, one that will require another U. S. “first” – a relocation of the large gantry supporting the printer, measuring roughly 60 feet long, 30 feet wide and 30 feet tall, to complete the structure.

Credit: Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic/Provided

Rendering of the two-story Houston home designed by Leslie Lok and Sasa Zivkovic, which features a first-of-its-kind hybrid design utilizing 3D-printed concrete and wood framing.

Across various systems – from spray-foam insulation to a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system more common to commercial buildings – the designers say the home integrates design and construction processes well-suited to multifamily developments that will be needed to expand housing capacity in fast-growing cities like Houston.

The designers said their approach could also accelerate construction timelines and reduce costs, since concrete printers may be operated by as few as three or four people. It also minimizes waste, as material can be mixed on demand and printed only for structurally important sections, and can more efficiently integrate wood framing in a modular design.

“Apart from printing technology, the integration of printing with building design and building materials, and the streamlining of construction process are important aspects in the realization of such a project,” Zivkovic said. “We are using this project to demonstrate how 3D printing is not only market-ready, but also capable of building well-designed and high-performance architecture.”

For the Houston home, the printed material is locally sourced and uses cement with a reduced carbon footprint, a mix that may include fly ash, slag and other industrial byproducts. The designers are collaborating with colleagues in the College of Engineering on research relating to ecofriendly building materials, including the potential for concrete to store methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Wood framing, meanwhile, is a renewable resource but is often a product of forest monocultures and may be transported over long distances.

Lok and Zivkovic said the Houston home optimizes use of both materials while taking better advantage of their design potential than many structures limited to only one of them.

“There isn’t a design out there,” Lok said, “that thinks about multifamily housing using these two systems together.”

MudBots 3D Concrete Printers - Print a House

Our printers come in a variety of sizes, from smaller 15'x15' up to 100'x50'


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Marketable Designs


We’ve been told that if the printer wasn’t any faster and wasn’t any cheaper to build with, it would still be the most significant tool ever, because it allows architects everywhere to begin offering designs that were cost prohibitive in the past.

Consumers are tired of the costs associated with conceptual designs. Traditional construction is limiting without astronomical costs. Architects have the ideas, but most consumers aren’t willing to pay for them. With a printer the cost between boring and amazing is the same.

Industries

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3D Print Walls

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3D Print Fireplace

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3D Print Monument Letters

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3D Print Benches

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3D Print Fences and Walls

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3D Print Signs

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3D Print Monuments

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3D Print Fountains

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3D Print Retainer Blocks

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3d Print Monument and Waterfalls

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3D Print Planters

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3D Print Sheds

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3D Print Monument Boulders

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3D Print Drainage

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No More Forming

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3D Print Stairs

How It Works

1

Concrete printing is possible with the construction of a large 3D printer capable of printing large scale structures, from spas and barbeques to homes and larger commercial buildings, without the need of traditional framing, forming or blocks. MudBots offers printers from 15' x 15' up to 100' x 100'.

2

There are hundreds of different mix formulas that closely resemble a mortar type mix. Each mix requires months of testing for different characteristics, such as fluidity, bonding, water impenetrability, Seismic resistance, as well as curing and strength. Mixes are designed for 1200 PSI up to 10,000 PSI, depending on the structure and engineered objectives.

3

First step is to decide what you want to print.

4

The next step is to conceptualize a 2D design using a CAD program, and then converting the design to a 3D model using any 3D software that can export an STL file.

5

Once the 3D model is ready, the STL file is imported into a slicing software, where the height of each printed pass is specified.

After slicing the model into individual print passes, the system exports the code which is interpreted into actual nozzle movement.

6

Electrical boxes and plumbing are added during the print leaving perfect finish without gaps.

7

The mix is batched on site after which, the liquid ingredients are added to the dry mixes and mixed for delivery to a computer-controlled pump, which works in unison with the printer to control nozzle speed, and the volume rate of material at the nozzle.

8

After printing the walls, windows and doors are cut out while the print is still green, leaving perfect openings for window/door casings.

9

The key to printing without stopping every 12" as seen by the rest of the world, is utilizing a batch plant that meters all the dry and liquid ingredients as the temperature, wind and humidity change. the mix formula being used at 5am is not the mix being used an hour later. MudBots provides a variety of mix formulas with differing strengths and cure times without being forced to buy proprietary mixes and paying 5 times as much when everything needed is already available at local batch plants.

Process


Step 1

Three men assembly in 3 hours without any lifting devices or need for heavy footings

Step 2

Print layout for footings with spray nozzle attachment

Step 3

Move printer for escavators in just 10 minutes

Step 4

Print forms for footings and flatwork

Step 5

Print walls up to 10' without stopping

Step 6

Add electrical boxes, rebar, and trowel walls while printing

Understanding What We Do & Don't Do


Here's how you can save.

Layout for Footings Dig

The first cost savings will be the elimination of 3 men, string lines, and marking paint. Simply add the airless attachment to the nozzle of the printer, and your entire layout for footing is done in minutes. Push the printer out of the way and start digging.

(The printer is able to print forms for footings)

Footing Forming

The layout and forming for footings and stem walls are very time-consuming. It takes a lot of lumber, diesel, stakes, and labor that is no longer necessary. Simply level the area, compact them, level the four corners of your printer, and PRINT.

(Forms do not need to be stripped when printed)

Footing Stripping

Perfect level and square forms are printed right from the computer. Grading is also easier, as the only real important level is the 4 corners of the printer. Printer can be set up for uneven grades.

(The printer can print the forms for slab)

Slab Forming

The slab layout and forming is critical to all other subs on the job. If a mistake is made at this point of the project, nothing else is square, and all other subs suffer. With the Concrete Printers, the house is square every time.

Slab Finishing

Not there yet, but our concrete printer will be finishing slabs within the next 6 to 12 months, and can be ordered as an option. If you’re waiting for all the options to be available before buying, you’ll never buy a printer, because we will never stop innovating. All upgrades will be available and are designed to be added to all of our printers.

(We can print basements)

Basements

Our printers easily print basement walls without the need of forming, backfilling, stripping forms, forming interior walls, drywall, insulation or taping. All of this is done by the printer.

(There is no need for the labor or time to do layout on slab)

Framing Layout

The printer knows where your wall is going to be. No chalk lines needed. Once the slab is poured, all you have to do is hit print.

(No need for framing)

Framing

No warped studs, better fire rating, no mildew. No matter how you look at it, printing a home is far better than framing a home. Concrete printing is faster, more accurate, just better all around.

(No need to drill studs for electrical)

Rough Electrical

This is not necessary as walls can be printed that are hollow. Depending on the mix that is used, there is also no need for rebar or solid pour exterior and bearing walls. We know the idea of exterior walls and bearing walls without rebar seems ridiculous, but it's time to learn something new. Look up 20,000 PSI concrete and geopolymer. It's real.

(No need to drill studs for plumbing)

Rough Plumbing

This isn’t necessary as walls can be printed hollow. Same as above. Your electrical and plumbing will be less expensive.

(Printed walls are finished without additive material during the print)

Drywall

You will still need to hang the lid, but not the walls. This goes for the basement. Just trowel the printed wall and when done, it's as smooth as a 3-coat drywall. Most countries do not wood frame at all. They build with bricks and then send a crew of mason finishers, and when it’s done, it’s smooth as anything.

(No need for taping as the walls are troweled smooth during printing)

Taping

Some print finishes may not need to be finished if acceptable to the customer. Taping takes days for each coat to dry. This is not the case with mason finishing. Within 3 hours of the walls being printed, the walls are already finished.

Finishes

If builders want to finish the smooth walls with a knock down broquet, orange peel or other finish, just come back the next day and spray with a hopper, top coat and trowel.

(Exterior walls are finished during the print)

Stucco / Siding

No paper, mesh or additive material is needed. This isn't a process that is done days after framing and sheeting. The finish is done real time as the wall is printing.

(Printers can be purchased with an insulation attatchment)

Insulation

You can have any R Factor you want depending on the density and material. A solid concrete wall has an R9 Value. If you print a hollow wall and back fill with fiberglass, polystyrene or cellulose, you can achieve any R value you desire.

(Mudbots is working on a composite truss system that can be printed on site)

Trusses

Additionally, house plans can be modified to allow for dome roofing, which can also eliminate trussing and sheeting costs. The truss system utilizes the same printer, but with the use of a different mixer/pumping system. As new advances become available, they will be bolt-on solutions with your existing printer.

Underground

More and more customers are starting to experiment with additional uses. Underground is definitely something worth considering. The cost is high for underground but can be significantly reduced by printing on site.

Landscape and Hardscape

The 3D Concrete Printer is a landscaper’s dream. Never before could you have offered products at a fraction the cost of your competition while still earning profits. It is basically unheard of. Developers will rethink their offerings when they realize how affordable the little extras are. The extras will set them apart from all the others.

Pool and Spa

By now, you may be realizing how significantly concrete printing is about to change so many industries. Pool and spa is just another market that will benefit. The cost for traditional pool construction is about to change. Homes can be sold with included water features at a fractional cost.

Signage

Very seldom do we see breathtaking signage. Everyone is looking for ways to stand out, but it keeps getting back to budgets. Imagine the development entries that are possible now. These printers like to print and with everything they can do, it would be foolish to have any down time.

Registration is required to access our Cost Calculators. We provide online tools for calculating the cost for mix formulas and “side by side” project costs comparisons using 3D technology.

Apples Comparison Test New

Complete the worksheet to have a better idea of where you will save in terms of Materials and Labor.

Bag Cost

Use this worksheet to determine the Cubic Inch Cost of the ingredients that will be used in the specialty mix for printing.

Mix Formula

This is a necessary first step to determine the material cost of any mix formula.

3D Printing Costs

Use this calculator to estimate costs to build using concrete printing over traditional construction methods.

Will It Pass Code?

First time callers don’t have any problem recognizing that concrete printing would be far faster and cheaper. They also don’t question the feasibility of learning the tech. The single most asked question relates to passing code. No fear of the tech, just fear of their building department.

Truth is concrete printers are already building homes and commercial buildings all around the world, so when considering the application in your backyard, here are a few things to consider.

ICF Construction

The best way to wrap your head around concrete printing is to start with the basics, and there is no better way than to liken 3D Concrete Printing, or 3DCP, to Insulated Concrete Block construction. ICF code is accepted everywhere yet a foam block has virtually no structural strength at all. So when you are considering how you would pass code, keep ICF in mind. For the most part, a concrete printer is doing nothing more than printing a hollow wall shell that can be filled with rebar and concrete. The only difference is foam has no strength at all, compared to what we print in most cases, which is twice the strength of cinderblock.

CMU Construction

Now with that in mind, let's look at the similarities with CMU (Cinderblock). No one questions the ability to build with cinderblock. While we don’t encourage it, take into consideration the fact that you can print walls that are the exact dimension and design as cinderblock yet twice as much the strength, and without grouted joints that are susceptible to seismic cracking.

The advantage of concrete printing is the ability to print hollow walls which reduced costs for electrical, plumbing and insulation. Additionally, hollow walls can be insulated to almost an R factor with ease with the absence obstructive studs.

The challenge isn’t whether or not it's possible, as it's already being done everywhere. The challenge is whether or not you can find a structural engineer that makes it possible. It's all about math. The code already exists, all you have to do is exceed the code, and to do that, you need to start with the mix.

Testing and Math

We have developed and tested a myriad of different mixes with different characteristics, such as PSI, tensile strength, water impenetrability, fire resistance, as well as cold weather mixes, hot weather mixes, accelerated mixes, and retarded mixes. We provide the formulas and the lab results that your engineer will need to determine what the wall designs will be. Once they have the testing results, they can design a wall that exceeds any code anywhere.

Some choose to stay close to traditional methods by printing walls that resemble ICF and CMU, but others, who have more confidence, take it all the way by utilizing stronger mixes, so that they can capitalize on ALL the cost-saving benefits.

Plans and Details

As for the other considerations, we have plenty of videos that address common questions about headers, attaching hurricane straps, installing electrical boxes, securing plumbing, mounting top plates for trussing and methods for tying the wall to the foundation. Although, most engineers want to see the methods being used by others first before reinventing the wheel, as they learn more and more until there isn’t a question that they can’t offer up to 4 or 5 solutions when asked. Most of this is common sense, nevertheless, we have the plan details and math to share.

As we’re saying this, bear in mind that every state, and sometimes even cities, have different building codes. What we will share is determined by specific code and conditions that are not specific to your state. Far too many factors come into play, such as mix characteristics, code, water table, frost level, annual snow loads, wind, seismic, soil compaction for starters. We do not provide structural engineering, but we can point you in the right direction.

What are your
Deal Breakers?

Everyone who is considering the use of concrete printing has a lot of work to do before they can commit to a purchase. There is no shortcut. The investment of time is inevitable. As you start down the path to making a decision, it’s easy to get confused as to what’s most important, and where you should spend your time, but as you consider the options presented to you, there will be some paths that obviously are a waste of time. Everyone needs to know what their deal breakers are. They will be different for each person, but from speaking with others, we have a pretty good idea of what most consider their deal breakers.

Design

From the onset, our engineers understood the importance of creating a design that had all the same features but was also easily understood. A printer that is lightweight and easily assembled in the field. MudBots printers weigh 75% less than any printers in the industry, with an assembly time that is 80% faster. This is a printer that does it all, does it faster, and is half the price of anyone.

Basements and Second Story

In some parts of the world, the ability to print basements and a second story isn’t a big deal, but in North America, it’s essential. Look around and you will find that most printers in this marketplace don’t have the ability to do either without tremendous unnecessary excavation or back filling. If you’re going to invest in a printer, most agree that the ability to quickly set up for footings, basements and second story is a must.

Assembly

Look at any other printer and you will recognize right off that assembly is going to be an expensive challenge. Imagine the worst IKEA assembly ever. That’s about what you get. Think about parts that are heavy to manage without forklifts and cranes, imagine hundreds of nuts and bolts. In some cases, needles cosmetic plastics that serve no function, waste hours of assembly, and will undoubtedly be broken and expensive to replace. Most printer designs make sense to the engineers that built them, but not so much to the contractors that will need to assemble it in the field. A 20' x 20' MudBots printer can be assembled with 2 workers in two hours without any mechanical lifting. MudBots can also be moved from one lot to another without disassembly by simply adding wheels. Additionally, the printer can print entire structures without being moved multiple times.

Proprietary Mixes

If you think your printer cartridges are expensive, wait until you have to buy and ship proprietary concrete mixes from halfway around the world or even the USA. MudBots is the only ones that provide the mix formulas for your printer and allow you to use any mix without voiding your warranty. This should be a deal breaker for everyone as they begin to realize what they will be paying for are mixes that are (mostly) available at their local hardware store, not to mention the cost of and any delay in shipping.

Customer Service

Does it feel like the others are sleeping on the job? There is far more to consider when thinking who to buy from than a few online videos and website. This is a significant purchase for most, but as you're out knocking on doors, the one thing you should consider the most is customer service. Start calling around and you’ll discover that there’s no one to talk to. Phone numbers are hidden, and emails go unanswered for weeks. You have to ask yourself, if no one will talk to you now when you have the money on hand, what’s it going to be like when you need support.

Price

If you’ve been lucky enough to get this far with anyone, the first thing you will find is that MudBots isn’t just a little better in price. MudBots is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of other printers, with more features and options than anyone. Price is always a factor, as well as ROI. Do the numbers and you’ll find that within 60 days, you’ll have already paid for your printer in savings, and likely will be looking for your second purchase because of the advantages.

Franchise

Most of our customers contact us because they are excited about the income possibilities that our printers will offer them, but for this very reason, the greater opportunity is in securing the exclusive distribution rights for their state. By merely owning and using our printers, our customers will undoubtedly generate tremendous excitement as they begin printing unbelievable designs at a third the cost and a third the time. It would be impossible to keep such a tool a secret. As news of this innovation begins making its way to the public, demand will become unimaginable. Since our customers are creating the exposure and excitement, it’s only right that they share in the success and residual income opportunity.

Jurisdiction

Most contracts start off with optimism and the best intentions, but if you’ve been doing this a while, you have learned that in the event of any legal actions, jurisdiction is an issue. If you’ve ever had to litigate outside your state, you recognize the challenges, but litigating outside the country is altogether different. We take a lot for granted in America, but that is not the case intentionally. Imagine trying to hire legal counsel abroad and trying to interpret international laws. This does not certainly offer home court advantage, and asking anyone who has tried, you’ll see that this is problematic at best. But even if you prevail, collecting on a judgement with corporate assets abroad is nearly impossible.

Regional
Master Dealer

  • We thought so!

  • Want more time with your family?

  • Want to earn over 100K a month?

  • Want to have your own company?

MudBots is looking for the best. If you have a background in construction, love new technology, and especially love business in general, you're in the right place. MudBots has developed the first line of 3D Concrete Printers available to the world. Media everywhere is saying that the new technology will change the construction industry forever. Seldom do opportunities come along with the huge market interest and untapped market. This is what business opportunist dream of.

Quality of Life

Success is measured in many ways, but true success is measured by the peace a person feels when they know they are doing something they love, their efforts are rewarded with increased gain, and they have the time to enjoy both with the ones they love. There are countless ways to make a living, but if you don’t enjoy what you’re doing or you don’t have the time to enjoy anything else, it’s hard to be satisfied. MudBots Master Dealers enjoy all three. They earn a remarkable living, they have the freedom to work when they want and because of their success, they get to focus on the more important things in life – their Family.


Job Description

The only way to manage a company that is growing as fast as MudBots is to have qualified individuals in every region of the country who can demonstrate products and serve their dealers. The Master Dealer program gives the company and its dealers the representation needed while offering a significant opportunity to those who embrace the call.


Exclusive Region

As an RMD, you will be given an exclusive license to represent and profit off of ALL the MudBots sales in your state/region. It is generally a full state, but in larger markets, a state may be divided to provide for better reachability and service.


Residual Income

There are many ways to profit as an RMD but the “residual commission” is by far the most enticing. Sell it once and continue earning for years to come. As an RMD you will earn up to 10% on every printer sold. With printers ranging from 284k to 1.3 million, it’s not hard to see how lucrative the venture can be. If RMDs sign up one new dealer every month who sells one printer a month within 12 months, depending on the profit sharing each RMD sets up with their dealers, earning after 12 months of work with 12 compliant dealers should be well over 100k a month. Why so much? Quite simply, we want to attract the best in the industry. An organization is only as good as its people. We want professionals, self-motivated individuals who are passionate about building their own business along ours.


Economy

One of the best thing about concrete printers is the recession-proof nature of products. If the economy slows, the need for faster and more affordable construction methods increases. Those trying to compete with traditional construction methods will quickly discover they can’t even come close, resulting in even more demand for MudBots products. Prospects can get on board now or wait until they are losing contracts without one.


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Minimum Requirements

   Training

Attend a 4-week training in Utah

   Printers

Purchase two (2) demo printers equaling 500k or more

   Truck

Must have a late model truck

   Trailer

Must have an enclosed branded trailer

   Demo Product

Demo product to 2 dealers each week

   1 Dealer / Month

Sign one dealer each month

Work or Fun

The best thing about a career with MudBots is that it’s just plain fun. As more and more ways are discovered for utilizing 3D Concrete Printers, every day is an exciting adventure. It’s fun to make money doing what you love and this is definitely an exciting product that sells itself. Industry professional everywhere are in awe when they see products being printed without the need of straight lines and forms. This is a product that people will watch for hours in amazement. The longer they watch, the more they realize how valuable 3D Printing will be to their business.


Getting Started

To get started, call and request an NDA and RMD application. Once accepted, you may attend the next RMD training where you will spend three full days of training and Q&A. You will learn about the industry, the opportunity, printer operation, specific mixes, lab testing, structure engineering, potential markets & marketing strategies. By the time you return home, you will be confident in your ability to promote and service the dealers in your area.

Welcome to MudBots.

Connect The Dots

As companies begin down this road the process and solutions for building with 3DCP’s can seem daunting at first but it doesn’t take much looking around to realize that answers and solutions are not far away. Here are some videos that will help with connecting those dots.

Fiber Cement Siding to Block

Hardy Plank over Block

Hardy Plank Siding on Block

Architectural Foam Accents

Applying Architectural Foam Accents

Spraying Finish on Artictectural Foam & Finishes (1/2)

Cement Screws and Fasteners

Cement Board Screws

Faux Concrete Wall Panels

Wall Cladding Systems

Concrete Counter Tops 1

How To Layout like a PRO - NOT NEEDED ANYMORE

Engineering Footings

Soil and Footings

Tiny Home Village - Making a Difference

Affordable Housing in Detroit

Spec Mix Delivery

Site Tools and Methods

3D printing with concrete [expert opinion] - Studia3D

02/16/2020 in Expert's Blog, Observations, Equipment, Technologies . And I made certain conclusions for myself, which I will try to briefly outline.

Actually, when it comes to 3D printing with concrete, my opinion is mixed. I will try to explain why:

Concrete 3D printing technology.

Concrete 3D printing is a semi-finished product. Not because 3D printing with concrete needs additional post-processing (Any production technology in most cases does not give the final result, be it a milling machine, casting, etc. It always requires bringing the product to customer requirements), but because the process of 3D printing with concrete has so many crutches and sores that it becomes very difficult to call this process 3D printing.

Administrative building. Construction. Dubai. It was built by a Russian guy. Read more here.

Of all the solutions on the market that I could find, the concrete printing process is a layer-by-layer application of concrete, which is essentially a repetition of the well-known FDM technology.

Concrete 3D printing technology. How does this happen.

But it wasn't there. Contrary to traditional filament printing, concrete does not use supporting structures during model growth. Instead, workers have to fence supports made of wood, plastic, foam and just improvised means. Although this approach is characterized rather not by technology, but by materials.

Administrative building. Construction. Dubai.

Concrete support structures are not easy to break if present. However, this is not an excuse. Should I buy an industrial building 3D printer and still have the workers to run around and build something? Only now not formwork for pouring concrete, but supporting structures for a 3D printer. So it is necessary to teach the workers what support structures are. But even if I print in segments, then to assemble the whole structure, I will already need several cranes and more qualified staff of "so-pro-matchers" so that it all does not collapse to hell.

3D printed bridge. China.

Money.

However, despite all the difficulties and shortcomings of the technology, the main advantage of using such technologies in 2020 is the presence of your own, already established, construction company. The use of 3D printing technologies will essentially be the hallmark of the company.

3D printed Dubai Future Foundation headquarters. Dubai.

And if not a solution to production issues, but an excellent publicity stunt. In fact, there is not even an input investment. Investments in advertising, if you can justify this expense.

Conclusion:

If you want to open a business with 3D printing in 2020, it is only in the concrete segment. The remaining segments are already simply occupied and have already been studied quite deeply. Building houses on a 3D printer is a tempting and profitable business. But! This area seemed to me irrelevant for this year in terms of starting a business and for such established centers of additive technologies as Studia3D in terms of expansion. However…

The world's first 3D printed concrete castle. Minnesota.

It would be different if I were a builder. Ah... If I were a builder =))) Because the use of these technologies will attract not only the best designers of our time and out-of-the-box thinking architects, but also new clients with a completely different pricing policy.

Ideal for concrete 3D printing. Not the future, but a good advertising campaign!

P.S. If you think, write. We will always find the best solution on the market for you, test and integrate the latest technologies and achievements in the field of 3D printing into your business chain.

Tags: 3D printing with concrete, 3D printing of houses, 3D printing of buildings

Construction 3D printing. Mixes. Practical recommendations.

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Greetings to our subscribers and readers of 3DToday.

We publish the article announced in the last post about mixtures for building printers.

By tradition - at the beginning of the video, and then the text for those who do not have the opportunity to view the video or turn on the sound.

Only the lazy did not make a construction printer today. And they all start with one thing - they are looking for a suitable concrete composition for printing. Probably, it should be unique: it should set quickly, be plastic and at the same time not shrink under the pressure of the next layers.

Fast curing - with cement grades 600 and 700. But such cements are not familiar to the average builder. They are not in the construction markets. Yes, and the price bites.

One of the advantages of the S-series portal printers is that you can use various building mixtures for printing, special and the cheapest.

For printing non-critical structures, such as small forms for the landscape, M300 sand concrete is suitable. Strength is enough. Will last in winter. The price of such a mixture is minimal - cheaper than ready-mixed concrete. Profitability is evident!

For houses, you need to add a plasticizer to the mixture - the wall will be even and silky.

If your construction needs to be very strong or, for example, completely waterproof, you will have to buy special concrete. More than 15 compositions for our equipment are already produced industrially by two enterprises in Russia.

Look at the modified plaster seal.

When diatomaceous earth balls are added, the surface texture becomes rough. Just a godsend for decorative elements! Gypsum is waterproof, suitable for building cladding.

When printing long walls, glass and polyester fibers are introduced into the concrete. Metal is large and harsh - not suitable for printing at all. Fiber reinforced concrete from the inside, does not allow cracks to appear, and significantly increases strength.

Different types of clay, koalin mixtures are just perfect for printing. The small-format construction printer is a real competitor to the venerable stove-maker.

Mixing for printing is not difficult at all. A sufficient amount of time is devoted to this in the printer training program.

Let's see what happened? - quite plastic, moderately thick mixture. For printing just right. Well, let's try?

Obviously, there are more than enough concretes and other mixtures for construction printing. Print for health! Just do everything RIGHT-VIL-BUT!

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