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3D printed house minnesota


Architect Plans to 3D Print a 2-story Home in Minnesota Using a Homemade Cement Printer - 3DPrint.com

When it comes to the 3D printing of homes, the industry is still in the very premature stages. We have heard of the company in China that has constructed small homes using their 3D printing technology. They are said to be able to construct a home in just 24 hours.

The quality of these homes doesn’t appear to be all that great. The surface area appears quite jagged, and they are homes that simply just don’t look that “nice”. There are also other projects that various individuals and companies have claimed to be working on. One such example is the Canal House project that is currently underway in Northern Amsterdam.

However, one man by the name of Andrey Rudenko is working on plans to take the 3D printing of homes to the next level. Rudenko is an experienced contractor with a background in engineering and architecture. He first plans to build a 2-story home in Minnesota, and then later construct a contemporarily-designed energy-saving house that relies heavily on thermal mass energy storage principles. Rudenko has been building his own 3D Printer capable of printing concrete homes for over a year now, and has already seen tremendous results.

Rudenko’s 3D printer in action

“A cheap house built in 24 hours is not my goal,” explained Rudenko to 3DPrint.com in an interview. “My current focus is building well-insulated small or medium-sized homes of a contemporary design, definitely onsite. As an experienced builder, I know that to avoid problems in the future, it is more important to produce homes of a good quality, which may take longer to build than cheaper homes made quickly. It would be more beneficial to print a complete home, including the foundation for the staircase, fireplace, certain furniture (kitchen island etc), columns, interior walls, and any wiring or plumbing that would fit inside the printed walls.”

While some of the 3D printed homes that we have heard about in China, were in fact built in as little as 24 hours, they were basically just the outer shell of the homes. Wiring, and other construction was not factored into the time estimate.  If you were to factor these processes into the equation you would get a time frame much greater than 24 hours.   Also, Rudenko believes that his method not only will make a more high quality home, but it would also prevent workers from coming in contact with an “extensively dust-filled environment”.

“This is why I’m currently conducting a large scale of experiments to extend the possibilities of this new technology – printing different elements, structures, and studying and developing new techniques,” said Rudenko

Rudenko’s printer produces a very good surface area, without the jagged edges we have seen in other 3D home printers.

He is also considering using the printed walls themselves as a decorative element for both the interior and exterior of the printed home.

“With a good quality, there will be very little need for sheetrocking of the wall surfaces,” he explained.

Rudenko’s main concern is acquiring the appropriate building permits needed for construction. 3D Printing isn’t exactly considered one of the “certified methods of construction” in the state of Minnesota. That will probably take some work, and perhaps some legal counsel.

As for the printer itself. Rudenko has built it based on the RepRap project, an open source 3D printing project that is extremely popular among 3D printing enthusiasts. For those familiar with RepRap printers, it’s comparable to a really big Mendel with the same Arduino Mega 2560 board, larger motors, and the same software/firmware chain.

The equipment needed to run Rudenko’s 3D printer

Rudenko plans on beginning construction of the 2-story home sometime this summer. Current plans have the home being approximately 10m x 15m, with insulation, plumbing, etc. Before beginning construction on this full sized home, he plans to experiment by constructing a children’s playhouse castle, which will let him learn more about the capabilities of his printer, and make the needed adjustments prior to taking on the final project.

A sketch of the playhouse castle that Rudenko plans on printing prior to taking on the larger project of printing an entire 2-story home.

Currently the printer prints 20mm wide layers, that are 5mm in height, and uses a cement/sand mix as the “filament”. This has caused Rudenko many hours of work, trying to figure out and adjust the extrusion process of the cement mix.

“I don’t know of any cement mixes with an extremely short setting time,” said Rudenko. “But for the cement mix, if it is not touched or vibrated, each layer does have enough time to become hard enough to layer on top of; especially when it is warm out and sun radiation and wind speeds up the drying/curing time. My biggest problem at the moment is pushing the cement through the pump with its high viscosity. All existing pumps can use medium-viscosity at a high speed, but for the cement printer, a high viscosity at low speed is needed, and this is a new field of research. I have attained good results; however, I will keep advancing my extruder/pump design. ”

Placement of a window as an example in Rudenko’s future home.

Rudenko seems to believe that 3D printed houses could one day be the norm for home construction, as well as drastically reduce the amount of labor needed onsite.

“3D printing in construction will not wholly replace previous techniques, and materials such as brick will continue to be utilized,” he explained. “Rather, 3D printing will significantly supplement the manual work. The technology aims to considerably lower production cost, provide a safer and more comfortable building process, and allow for much more architectural flexibility. In place of an entire group of construction workers, two people will facilitate the 3D printing process: one with appropriate computer skills in charge of the programming, and one working with the materials (e.g. sand and cement), placing reinforcing steel bars inside the forms, maintaining the machine at the end of the day, and so forth.

Here is a video showing Rudenko’s 3D printer in action.

If all goes as planned and Rudenko succeeds at 3D printing his 2-story home, the next course of action will be to print a contemporarily-designed energy-saving house. He hopes that this home will considerably reduce the continuous need for heating and air conditioning.

“I have developed a concept that incorporates forgotten energy-saving technologies controlled through a computer,” hinted Rudenko.

As for Rudenko’s business plan. For now he is focused on printing these homes. He has said that he may think about selling DIY kits in the future, for the printer that he plans to use in the construction of these homes.

Discuss Rudenko’s project, in the discussion thread dedicated to this article on our forum.

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Tagged with: 3d printed homes • 3d printed houses • 3d printers • cement printer • diy • homes • houses • reprap

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These 3D printed houses offer a glimpse into the future of construction

The technology behind 3D printing is probably older than you’d think, but only because recent advancements in the field have made it a viable commercial venture. These days, you can 3D print just about anything. From small tools (like hinges and screws), to games, home decor, art, and even prosthetic limbs and cars, if you can dream it, you can print it.

Contents

  • Urban Cabin (Amsterdam, Netherlands)
  • Apis Cor’s 3D-Printed House (Stupino, Russia)
  • 3D-printed Castle (Shorewood, Minnesota)
  • Landscape House (TBD)
  • Icon’s 3D-Printed House (Austin, Texas)
  • Curve Appeal (TBD)
  • 3D-Printed Hotel Suite (Angeles City, Philippines)
  • Tiny Home (Houston, Texas)

Some companies are even 3D printing entire houses, which could have major implications for society as well as help alleviate housing crises around the world. Besides being more customizable and sustainable than traditional housing, 3D-printed houses are cheaper and can be built more quickly (sometimes in just a few hours), providing much needed housing alternatives in lower-income areas or areas impacted by natural disasters.

3D-printed buildings also just look really cool. Layering hundreds and thousands of rows or concrete or bio-plastics together to create strong supporting walls that provide shelter and insulation, 3D-printed houses are not only challenging what we think of when we think of buildings — but how we create them. Here are just a few of our favorite 3D-printed homes.

Photo: ModEco Development LLC

Urban Cabin (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Made using renewable bio-plastics, the Urban Cabin, by DUS Architects, offers sustainable micro-dwellings in urban environments. The structure is entirely 3D-printed and showcases different techniques for insulation and material consumption. The pieces are printed off-site, shipped to a specified location and the cabin is assembled. The Urban Cabin only takes up 25 cubic meters, including the space needed for the structure itself, as well as an outdoor tub and “pocket park” grass lawn. Inside, it has enough space for a window, door, and bed, which can be folded into a seat when not in use. If need for the cabin should ever dissipate, the materials used can be shredded and recycled for other 3D printing projects.

Photo: DUS Architects

Apis Cor’s 3D-Printed House (Stupino, Russia)

The Apis Cor house is believed to be the first 3D-printed house created entirely on-site, rather than assembled from pre-printed parts. It was constructed at the Apis Cor test facility in Stupino, Russia in the winter of 2016. After the walls were completed (in just under 24 hours), the printer was removed through the top of the building with a crane, and the roof, windows, interior, and a few coats of mustard yellow paint were finished by hand. The interior of the house includes a hall, bathroom, living room, and kitchen. The technology used to construct this house could be used to build houses of any shape and in temperatures as low as 5 degrees Celsius. The total cost of the Apis Cor house was just over $10,000.

Photo: Apis Cor

3D-printed Castle (Shorewood, Minnesota)

While not exactly a house, this 12-foot-tall castle was created using one of the first concrete 3D printers. Andrey Rudenko of Total Kustom, a robotics company out of Shorewood, Minnesota, created the structure in his own backyard. It took him two years to construct, including designing his own printer, and one small garage fire, according to the Star Tribune. Rudenko first started producing concrete boxes, but eventually was able to start work on the castle. Heavy rain delayed the construction, but once the 7-foot base was finished, he was able to add the battlements and spires, which had been printed separately. Total Kustom also created a custom 3D-printed hotel suite for a client in the Philippines (more on that later).

Photo: Total Kustom

Landscape House (TBD)

Construction and architectural firms BAM and Universe Architecture have joined forces to create a giant Möbius strip building, which they are calling the Landscape House. The two-story structure will be about 100 meters long and include 1,000 square meters of floor space. The idea behind the twisted building was first unveiled in 2013, and while they have been making progress (including testing the form in a park bench at the end of 2015), they have yet to start printing the real thing just yet. The entire project is estimated to cost $5.3 million and the 3D-printer will need to be active for at least 6 months to make this unique building a reality.

Photo: Universe Architecture

Icon’s 3D-Printed House (Austin, Texas)

This 3D-printed house has the potential to impact a very real problem: Homelessness. Icon, an Austin-based startup, is teaming up with non-profit New Story to create 3D-printed homes in underserved communities. There is currently only one model of this house on-display in Austin, Texas, but the companies plan to begin construction on more homes in the coming year. What sets this house apart from others like it, is that it is believed to be the first 3D-printed structure that is fully permitted and up to code. It has a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and porch. The 600 square foot abode can be printed in 12-24 hours and costs $10,000. Icon hopes to bring that number down to $4,000 per house.

Photo: Icon

Curve Appeal (TBD)

What started as a concept for a freeform home design challenge could soon become an actual product with WATG‘s freeform 3D-printed house. The design, created by multiple members of the Chicago-based architecture firm, is made up of two main components: A exterior skin and interior core, which includes a kitchen, bathroom, living area, and bedroom. Unlike other 3D-printed structures, the Curve Appeal relies more heavily on glass and natural lighting in conjunction with it’s 3D-printed parts, allowing it to more easily mirror modern architecture and blend with the natural environment. According to their website, WATG was expected to begin 3D printing the building in 2017, but the final product remains to be seen.

Photo: WATG

3D-Printed Hotel Suite (Angeles City, Philippines)

The Lewis Grand Hotel is a luxury hotel in Angeles City, Philippines. What sets the Lewis Grand apart from its competitors is its 3D-printed hotel suite. Measuring 10.5 meters by 12.5 meters, with two bedrooms, a living room, and Jacuzzi, the suite is the first-ever operational commercial structure made through 3D printing. The whole structure took about 100 hours to produce and was made by Total Kustom, the Minnesota company responsible for the 3D-printed castle earlier in this list.

Photo: Total Kustom

Tiny Home (Houston, Texas)

As a student at Baylor University, engineer Alex Le Roux designed and built a concrete 3D printer. The 3D concrete printer — which Le Roux calls the Vesta — was able to print the small structure in just 24 hours, with a print speed of .3 feet per second. The tiny home has a single door and an interior of 7 x 4 feet. The house was built in Houston, Texas, and was funded in part by Le Roux himself and the architectural firm ModEco Development LLC. It was constructed using inexpensive Portland cement mix, a common building material. Not only does this house prove how many people are hard at work creating sustainable buildings, but also the many different kinds of unique printers used to make unique buildings.

Photo: ModEco Development LLC

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  • Inside the quest to 3D print a perfectly palatable steak
  • 3D printing lets hospitals make ventilator substitutes with common equipment
  • 3D-printed ventilator valves help out Italian hospital rocked by coronavirus

STL file Minnesota Lumberton House, Minnesota Lumberton House・3D printing design to download・Cults

CONCRETE BARRIER FOR TRAIN N 1/160

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Wooden house, wooden house

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An architect plans to 3D print a house with a printer of his own design

When it comes to 3D printing buildings, it's clear that additive manufacturing hasn't reached its peak yet. Although Chinese specialists are already printing small houses, and even in record time, the quality of the structures is still in some doubt. Dutch architects are also trying their hand at additive manufacturing - not so long ago we talked about the Canal House project being implemented in Amsterdam. nine0006

But today we will tell you about a man named Andrey Rudenko, who plans to take 3D printing of houses to a whole new level. Andrew has a wealth of engineering and architectural experience that he intends to use to build a two-story home in Minnesota. Recently, Rudenko has been building a 3D printer of his own design for printing concrete buildings.

Manually laying out reinforcement allows you to create strong reinforced concrete walls

“Building cheap houses in 24 hours does not interest me,” Rudenko explained. “My current goal is to build small to medium-sized houses with good thermal insulation, right on the construction site. In my experience, to avoid problems in the future, it is better to spend a little more time building a good house than quickly building cheap buildings. And 3D printing can be used to create almost an entire house, including the foundation, fireplace, columns, interior walls and piping.” nine0006

Although the Chinese houses were actually unpacked, in reality they are just "boxes". Wiring and water supply were not taken into account, otherwise the construction time would have taken much more than 24 hours. In addition, Rudenko believes that his method will help protect builders from harmful dust.

“My task is to conduct experiments to expand the possibilities of 3D technologies: printing various elements and structures, as well as researching new construction methods,” Rudenko explains. nine0006

The Rudenko printer allows printing fairly even, straight walls.

The Rudenko printer shows good print quality, without the bends seen with some other construction printers.

In addition, Rudenko considers printed walls as decorative elements of the exterior and interior.

“If the print quality is high enough, the need for finishing and leveling surfaces will decrease,” Andrey explained.

One of Rudenko's problems is obtaining the necessary building permits. The fact is that 3D printing is not considered a certified building method in the state of Minnesota. The task is likely to require some time and legal assistance to resolve. nine0006

Only a digital controller and a laptop are required to operate the device.

As for the printer itself, it is based on RepRap technologies, an open source project that is extremely popular among enthusiasts. The device resembles a giant version of the Mendel printer and uses an Arduino Mega 2560 controller, but has larger motors.

Sketch of a play castle, which should be the first full-fledged building project

Rudenko plans to start building a two-story house this summer. Current plans call for a 10 x 15 meter building with thermal insulation, plumbing, drainage, etc. Before building a full-sized house, he intends to experiment with building a play castle for children to test the capabilities of his printer in practice and make the necessary changes before the big undertaking. nine0006

The printer is currently capable of printing in layers 20mm wide and 5mm thick. The material used is concrete mix. Rudenko admits that getting the sand-cement extrusion process to perfection required many hours of work.

“I don't know of any cement mix with an almost instant setting time,” says Rudenko. “But existing mixes harden well enough during the layering period to support the weight of subsequent layers of material. The main thing is to exclude the possibility of vibrations or mechanical impact on the freshly extruded layers so that they have time to “grab”. The weather can help - bright sun and good winds shorten the setting time. My main problem right now is getting the extruder to work reliably with a fairly liquid mixture. However, the results are encouraging, and I intend to continue to improve the design of the extruder and pump.” nine0006

The flexibility of the technology makes it easy to create door and window openings

Rudenko believes that over time, 3D-printed houses can become the building standard, as well as increase the efficiency of construction teams.

“I don't think 3D printing will completely replace previous methods. The use of familiar materials and methods, such as brickwork, will continue,” Andrei explains. “Rather, 3D printing will be an important enabler. The technology aims to reduce construction costs, improve working conditions and increase architectural flexibility. Two people are enough to operate the printer instead of a whole construction team. One will look after the software component and control the operation of the device, the second will prepare consumables for smooth operation. nine0006

If all goes according to plan and Rudenko succeeds in 3D printing a two-story house, the next step is to print an energy-efficient building. Rudenko hopes that such buildings will help achieve significant savings in energy costs for heating and ventilation. How will it work?

“I developed my own concept, based on forgotten methods of energy saving under program control,” Andrey avoids a direct answer.

As for the business side of the issue, so far Rudenko wants to prove the practicality of his device.

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