New 3D printer - A project that will certainly revolutionise the construction industry. Probably the birth of a new era to which companies in this branch will sooner or later inevitably have to adapt.
In Texas, to Austin, its New Storycharitable organisation supported by the funding agency Y-Combinator, e Icona robotic construction company, have realised the first house built with a 3D printer fully habitable.
The two companies, which are involved in building houses in developing countries, wanted to demonstrate the possibility of building a house of around 250 square metres in less than 24 hours. The aim is to use this methodology to solve the problem of around one billion people in the world who lack adequate, safe and hygienic housing, particularly in Haiti and to El Salvador.
The home of the Texas is the first ever built using a 3D printer (in this case the Vulcan owned by Icon) declared habitable by a local government.
The work involves an initial stamping of the concrete walls, which retains its shape as it hardens, and then the installation of the windows, wooden roof, basic piping and electrical cables. The construction cost around 8,000 euros, a price that the two companies claim can be reduced to just over 3,000 euros.
Evan Loomisco-founder of Icon, stated to Quartz that the walls harden and become more secure a few days after construction, while remaining habitable from the moment of construction.
The structure was completed and finished by the staff of New Story which took less than 24 hours.
The two companies have big goals: the next step is to design robots that can automatically install windows and drones that can spray paint exterior walls.
In addition to Iconthere are other companies that are building houses using 3D printersuch as the Apis Cor at Russiabut as mentioned earlier, the structure of the Icon is the only one to have been declared habitable by the local government.
Images: Quartz
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