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3D Printed Houses & Construction
The 3d printing construction market is booming. Learn more about this emerging tech and the future of home construction.
3D printed houses are poised to revolutionize the construction industry by making it quicker, cheaper and more sustainable to build homes. With many parts of the world facing a housing shortage, 3D printing offers a solution to help more people find affordable homes.
But what are 3D printed houses? How does the building process work, and what does the future hold? Let’s look at how these houses are made and some companies that are leading the way in the industry.
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What Is A 3D Printed House?
3D printed houses are exactly what they sound like: homes created with 3D printing technology. Typically, the process isn’t carried out by giant 3D printers (although it can be). In most cases, robotic arms take care of the construction, or workers use 3D printed materials to build the home.
One advantage of 3D printed homes is that they’re quick to build. In less than 24 hours, a small home’s foundation and walls can be created by 3D printers – and at a fraction of the cost of conventional building methods.
3D printed homes can be made from a variety of materials, but the most common ones are:
• Concrete: By far the most common material used to construct 3D printed homes. Concrete is known for its strength, and because it’s already a common construction material, it easily transitions to the 3D printed market.
• Mortar: Similar to concrete, mortar can also be used to build 3D printed houses. The material is flexible, but not quite as strong as concrete.
• Soil: 3D printed earthen homes are made with soil from the earth.
Although less common, you can also find homes that are made from recycled plastic and polymer composite. Most companies have a proprietary mix of materials used to build their homes.
Is 3d Printing A House Safe?
3D printing speeds up the building process and makes homes more affordable. But are they safe?
Yes, 3D printed homes are safe if they are built properly – just like with any other home.
Concrete homes are especially safe when compared to other building materials. It’s a highly durable and strong material that can withstand the test of time.
Although they are constructed using unconventional methods, 3D printed homes still need to meet local and state regulations (i.e. they must be up to code) in order to be issued a certificate of occupancy.
3D Printing Concrete 101
Although the process can vary from one builder to the next, 3D printed homes are generally made using the following steps:
• A 3D printer is moved to the home site.
• The concrete is mixed on-site.
• The 3D printer starts printing.
The process is overseen by a crew of people to ensure that the printer is being fed concrete and that the construction is running smoothly. Typically, rebar reinforcements are used for strength and durability.
How Does the 3D Printer Print Concrete?
Printing concrete sounds like a work of science fiction, but the process is much simpler than it seems.
• A 3D printer extrudes the concrete mixture with a controllable drying factor.
• The machine ensures that the mix is just the right consistency.
• A robotic arm extrudes the concrete in layers and in accordance with the floorplan.
In a nutshell, the robotic arm is a big concrete nozzle that’s controlled by a computer following the floorplan. A small crew oversees the process to ensure that everything is moving according to plan.
Because a robotic arm is controlling the concrete nozzle, these homes are much quicker to build. On average, it takes just 20-30 hours to build a 3D printed home.
The Advantages of 3D Printed Concrete Homes
For the construction industry and buyers, 3D printing offers a wealth of benefits, including:
• Less material consumption
• Quicker construction time
• Less waste
• Better efficiency (printers never need sleep)
• Lower labor costs
As the industry continues to evolve, printers will become even more efficient.
How Much Does A 3D Printed House Cost?
One great benefit of 3D printed houses is that they cost less to produce. Why?
+ They take days instead of months to build
+ They require fewer materials and produce less waste
+ You need just a handful of people to oversee the machine
It’s estimated that 3D printing technology can reduce construction costs by 20-40%.
The average cost to build a home in the U.S. in 2022 is around $282,000. Producing the same home with 3D printed concrete could cost $169,200 - $225,600.
3D printing technology has the potential to make homes affordable.
That being said, there are some costs that are still wildly variable, and some aspects of the construction process cannot be handled by a 3D printer. Costs that won’t be affected by 3D printing technology include:
• Site work (excavation, clearing, grading, etc.)
• Utilities (septic, well, city water/sewer connections, electric, Internet, etc.)
• Roof
• Finishing touches
• Windows
• Doors
• Electric and plumbing
Costs will also depend on the builder, floor plan and size of the home.
What Challenges Does the 3D Printing Construction Industry Face?
A shortage of skilled labor and materials is contributing to the shortage of new houses and the rising costs of existing homes.
While 3D printed homes can be a part of the solution, the industry still faces its fair share of challenges.
Equipment costs are high, for starters. And while the demand is there, there simply aren’t enough companies offering 3D printed homes.
3D Printed House Companies
Several companies are joining the 3D printed houses movement, but some of the top names in the industry include:
Icon Build Homes
In 2018, ICON became the first company to build a permitted 3D printed home. Since opening their doors, they’ve pushed the envelope for 3D printed housing. To this day, the company has built more than 24 3D printed homes or structures in the U.S. and Mexico.
The ICON Vulcan 3D Printer builds homes by extruding a concrete mix (Lavacrete, which is a combination of Portland cement, supplementary cementitious materials, fillers and other additives) using a software-directed pattern. The printer pours the concrete one layer at a time, building the structure – literally – from the ground up. Because the printer is set on a truck, there’s a great deal of flexibility when printing.
The Vulcan printer can build structures up to 3,000 square feet that meet the IBC structural code standard. Their homes are expected to last just as long or longer than Concrete Masonry Unit built homes.
ICON is now ready to break ground on a 100-home community out in the Austin area. The company is partnering with Lennar, a leading homebuilder, to bring the project to life. BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group will be codesigning the community.
The company’s Vulcan construction system also helped with the construction of homes in the East 17th Street project. Their 3D printer created the first floors of the four homes in the project, two of which sold within days of being put on the market last year. While the homes aren’t entirely constructed using 3D printing technology, they are a testament to the resilience and versatility of concrete in the housing industry.
SQ4D
SQ4D is another leader in the 3D printing industry, and they’re paving the way for affordable homes that are quick to build and sustainable.
SQ4D uses their Autonomous Robotic Construction System, known as ARCS, to build homes. ARCS can construct the footings, foundations and walls on-site.
SQ4D listed the very first 3D printed home for sale on the U.S. market. That home, which sits on 1/4-acre, offers 1,500 square feet of living space and a 2-1/2 car garage with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The company will even offer a 50-year warranty on the structure.
The company has also constructed the world’s largest 3D printed home, which is 1,900 square feet. It took just eight days to construct the home, with 48 hours of total print time. Materials cost less than $6,000.
Final Thoughts
3D printed houses are quickly becoming mainstream as the technology continues to evolve and becomes more affordable. The industry still faces challenges, but it serves as a serious contender to traditional construction methods. Companies that are paving the way for 3D printing to become mainstream are helping solve the housing shortage and making homes more accessible.