3-D Printing is now tackling bigger projects, like the construction of entire houses in just a few days.
A traditional villa takes about half a year to build, but thanks to 3-D printing, you could have your dream house constructed in just a few days. Zhouda, a Chinese architecture company, recently assembled a two-story home in Xi’an, China, in only three hours.
The house consisted of six modules representing different rooms, and the modules were printed in a factory ahead of time. According to a report from China Central Television (CCTV), it took about ten days to produce the modules and construct the home before putting everything together on site. The cost of each module ranged from 2,500 to 3,500 renminbi (RNB) or $400 to $560 USD per square meter.
The material used to construct the modules remains a secret, but the Zhouda group filed 22 patents for it. However, the company’s vice president Tan BuYong assures the new material is sourced from industrial and agricultural waste and contains no ammonia, radon, formaldehyde, or other harmful substances. The manufacturing company also claims that the material can be personalized to flaunt a variety of aesthetic qualities the homeowner may desire: jade, marble, wood, granite, and other decorative sheet textures.
Despite the fact that the house can be constructed so quickly, An Yongliang, developing engineer of the company, holds that the structure is reliable and safe. The modules can reportedly endure up to magnitude-9 earthquakes because they feature a steel frame structure and each module, weighing over 100 kilograms per square meter, bears its weight individually. Yongliang adds that the steel frame structure can be filled with heat-insulating materials which guarantee warmth during cold weather.
According to Zhouda, the buildings can withstand deterioration for 150 years — long enough for several generations to enjoy the abode. Given the cost and time for construction, 3-D printed houses could quickly assert themselves as a modern breakthrough in the industry.
