The 3D printer that can build a house in 24 hours

[Jonathan Fairfield]

The 3D printer that can build a house in 24 hours

A revolutionary 3D concrete printer can build a 2,500-square-foot home layer by layer in a single day

pic: Contour Crafting

The University of Southern California is testing a giant 3D printer that could be used to build a whole house in under 24 hours.

Professor Behrokh Khoshnevis has designed the giant robot that replaces construction workers with a nozzle on a gantry, this squirts out concrete and can quickly build a home according to a computer pattern. It is “basically scaling up 3D printing to the scale of building,” says Khoshnevis. The technology, known as Contour Crafting, could revolutionise the construction industry.

The affordable home?

Contour Crafting could slash the cost of home-owning, making it possible for millions of displaced people to get on the property ladder. It could even be used in disaster relief areas to build emergency and replacement housing. For example, after an event such as Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, which has displaced almost 600,000 people, Contour Crafting could be used to build replacement homes quickly.

It could be used to create high-quality shelter for people currently living in desperate conditions. “At the dawn of the 21st century [slums] are the condition of shelter for nearly one billion people in our world,” says Khoshnevis, “These buildings are breeding grounds for disease a problem of conventional construction which is slow, labour intensive and inefficient.”

As Khoshnevis points out, if you look around you pretty much everything is made automatically these days – “your shoes, your clothes, home appliances, your car. The only thing that is still built by hand are these buildings.”

How does Contour Crafting work?

The Contour Crafting system is a robot that by automates age-old tools normally used by hand. These are wielded by a robotic gantry that builds a three-dimensional object.

“Ultimately it would work like this,” says Brad Lemley from Discover Magazine. “On a cleared and leveled site, workers would lay down two rails a few feet further apart than the eventual building's width and a computer-controlled contour crafter would take over from there. A gantry-type crane with a hanging nozzle and a components-placing arm would travel along the rails. The nozzle would spit out concrete in layers to create hollow walls, and then fill in the walls with additional concrete… humans would hang doors and insert windows.”

“It’s a CAD/CAM solution,” says Khoshnevis. The buildings are “designed on computer and built by a computer”. Contour Crafting hopes to generate “entire neighbourhoods built at a fraction of the cost, in a fraction of the time, far more safely, and with architectural flexibility that is unprecedented.”

The Contour Crafting solution also produces much stronger structures than traditional building methods. According to Contour Crafting the tested wall is a 10,000PSI (pounds per square inch) strength compared to an average of 3,000PSI for a regular wall.

The system could potentially be used to build large office blocks and even tower blocks. “You can have multi-nozzle machines and even have the structure climb the building,” says Khoshnevis. says Khoshnevis. This

demonstrates how a home is built using the Contour Crafting technique.

Will all future buildings look the same?

One concern with contour crafted homes is that they’d all look the same. Mind-numbing duplication was a key criticism of the suburban estates from the 1950s, even though they also brought good-quality housing to millions of people. Would robot-made homes have the same problem, spitting out endless duplication of the same basic template?

They would not be as homogenous as the suburbs, says Khoshnevis, because “every [Contour Crafted] building can be different. They do not have to look like track houses because all you have to do is change a computer program” to get a completely different house.

Because the buildings are printed with a nozzle, they can also be far more creative than current constructions. “The walls can be curved” says Khoshnevis and “you can have very exotic architectural features without incurring additional costs.”

Will builders be out of work?

What the implications are for builders is, of course, a major concern. Building and construction has largely escaped the construction line automation of other industries and remains solid employment for millions worldwide. According to the International Labour Organisation construction employs nearly 110 million people worldwide and “plays a major role in combating the high levels of unemployment and in absorbing surplus labour from the rural areas.”

That’s a lot of people Contour Crafting could make redundant, which raises the question of whether the system could do more harm than good.

“There is concern about people being put out of construction jobs,” says Khoshnevis but “the reality is that a lot of new jobs can be created in this sector as well.” Khoshnevis reminds us that in 1900 almost 62% of all Americans were farmers, whereas today less than 1.5% of Americans are in agriculture, thanks to advanced in technology. “The same will be true in the case of construction.” Khoshnevis argues that “Construction is a hazardous job” and points out that “it is more dangerous than mining and agriculture.“it is more dangerous than mining and agriculture. It kills 10,000 people every year [and] because of all the different trade and managements structures, the process is pretty corruption prone. It is very costly and always over budget.”

When will we see robotic builders?

But can the Contour Crafting robot move from its research lab environment and into the real world? “Khoshnevis is a prolific inventor,” says Brad Lemley, “who emigrated from Iran in 1974 and holds patents in fields ranging from optics to robotics, [and] decided there had to be a better way while trowelling plaster cracks in his living room following the 1994 Northridge California earthquake."

“If you can build a wall, you can build a house,” says Khoshnevis. But Contour Crafting was named one of the 25 best inventions in 2006 by the National Inventors Hall of Fame and the History Channel’s Modern Marvels programme and is still being tested.

Current research is being funded by Nasa along with the Cal-Earth institute. The future development for Contour Crafting is to investigate construction of modern civil structures, alongside the construction of structures on the moon. According to Contour Crafting these structures include landing pads, roads, hangers and radiation walls.

Nasa’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) facility is investigating infrastructure elements in order to evaluate the feasibility of adapting and using the Contour Crafting technology for extraterrestrial application.

“This technology is like a rock that we have rolled to the top of a cliff,” Khoshnevis told Discover Magazine, “just one little push and the idea will roll along on its own."

Source: MSN Innovation

pic credit: Contour Crafting

[Jonathan Fairfield]

What do you reckon? Would you buy a 3D house?

[tingtong]

What do you reckon? Would you buy a 3D house?

My current house is 3D

So sure, the next one will be in 3D too. I am one who cant imagine living in any other kind of house than a 3D house!

PS: very interesting article, and a little silly question, when you come to think of it.

[LennyW]

We had a demonstration at my work of a 3D printer in action, a lot smaller than this, but quite amazing to see in action.

[harrry]

No smokoes, no sickies, no arriving at 7am and taking 2 hrs to find the shovel. The only problem is they will not be able to produce the machines quickly enough.

Edited January 9, 2014 by harrry

[falang07]

I wonder what cement can set so quick

[osiboy]

No smokoes, no sickies, no arriving at 7am and taking 2 hrs to find the shovel. The only problem is they will not be able to produce the machines quickly enough.

no more brickies, concrete finishers, plasterers, shuttering carpenters , architects , designers, labour workers , no more taxes from any of these workers , .........it all sounds rosie in a futuristic way , .... but how do the 100s of millions of construction workers find work in the future if this is the way forward ? . serious negative knock-on affects imo

[Etrazine]

No smokoes, no sickies, no arriving at 7am and taking 2 hrs to find the shovel. The only problem is they will not be able to produce the machines quickly enough.

no more brickies, concrete finishers, plasterers, shuttering carpenters , architects , designers, labour workers , no more taxes from any of these workers , .........it all sounds rosie in a futuristic way , .... but how do the 100s of millions of construction workers find work in the future if this is the way forward ? . serious negative knock-on affects imo

You'd still need all of those workers except for the brick layers. It's not as if the 3d printer is producing a fully finished ready to move in house. it still needs doors. windows, plaster, wiring, plumbing, roofing, someone still needs to design the house too.

Luddites always find negatives in progression.

[brit1984]

No smokoes, no sickies, no arriving at 7am and taking 2 hrs to find the shovel. The only problem is they will not be able to produce the machines quickly enough.

no more brickies, concrete finishers, plasterers, shuttering carpenters , architects , designers, labour workers , no more taxes from any of these workers , .........it all sounds rosie in a futuristic way , .... but how do the 100s of millions of construction workers find work in the future if this is the way forward ? . serious negative knock-on affects imo

just print a new world without any of the inventions / technologies that have contributed to the development of human beings over the last 100,000 years or so

there will be plenty of opportunities there for those keen to do manual labour

[impulse]

Contour Crafting could slash the cost of home-owning, making it possible for millions of displaced people to get on the property ladder. It could even be used in disaster relief areas to build emergency and replacement housing.

I watched a "documentary" a few years back where some guys were trying to save the planet by developing a method to replant mangrove forests in remote tropical locations by helicopter. They spent weeks ironing out how to get the mangrove saplings to land rightside up without breaking up on impact, conceding that a large portion of them would land in soil that was not viable. They tried parachutes, streamers and all kinds of packaging, but never did get it right.

They completely lost sight of the fact that they could have hired over 1000 local laborers for about what it cost to keep a helicopter in the air, providing jobs for 1000 locals, while precisely placing the mangrove trees where they had a decent chance to actually do some good.

This reminds me of that show.

Still, great technology. And I'm sure they'll find a niche for it. But it won't have anything to do with displaced people or disaster relief.

Edited January 9, 2014 by impulse

[Spoonman]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

[khunPer]

Woow – cool – now you house will look like the drawing

[weegee]

Great....where do you bbuy one of those machines?

[weegee]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

[harrry]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

I guess if they needed vertical reinforcent the could form holes to put steel rails in

[David48]

Can I get it to to mould the perfect woman?

OK ... seriously, maybe in the grey zone between Science Fiction and Science Fact ... but, something worth considering.

Thanks for the OP who ever you are ... you should get a job at Thai Visa ...

[tingtongteesood]

I wonder how much it costs to make the average 2 up 2 down this way. It is an interesting concept but I doubt it will ever be allowed to be unleashed on the world as unemployment would skyrocket over night.....

[khunPer]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

Phanteon in Rome is build in concrete without steel reinforcement – it’s still standing strong after 1,894 years (build 120 as Jupiter Temple, converted to church about year 600).

From Wikipedia: »Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus [circular 9 m/27 ft wide light hole at top of the dome] and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).«

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

Believe you can build in concrete without steel, if you do the right concrete mix – as the Romans did it.

[tingtong]

No smokoes, no sickies, no arriving at 7am and taking 2 hrs to find the shovel. The only problem is they will not be able to produce the machines quickly enough.

no more brickies, concrete finishers, plasterers, shuttering carpenters , architects , designers, labour workers , no more taxes from any of these workers , .........it all sounds rosie in a futuristic way , .... but how do the 100s of millions of construction workers find work in the future if this is the way forward ? . serious negative knock-on affects imo

These former construction workers will be the one to build the 3D printers in the future?

Ppl still will be needed to set up/move these printers, stuff them with concrete...also ppl will set the doors and windows, tile the floor, paint the wall....

In any case, this might be the future.

And the article mentioned that lots of industries transformed, like agriculture.

What if most of the small farm disappear? oh, wait, it did happen in the West, and happening everywhere else too.

Where did those workers go? There was more agriculture workers than construction...just as example; the world still functioning.

[Ulic]

I wonder what cement can set so quick

Shotcrete the same as they use in tunnel construction.

[Farma]

I can see this 3D printer taking off in the future. On site kitchen tops, specialised bathroom designs, the list is endless.

On a related 3D note, I see Bae Systems announced the other day that they're using 3D printers to make aircraft non structural parts. So far they've used 3d printer made cockpit and instrument fairing parts in 4 aircraft. They claim the parts can be produced at a highly reduced cost and onsite rather than ordering through the supply chain.

[Ulic]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

I guess if they needed vertical reinforcent the could form holes to put steel rails in

Watched a TV program a few years ago. They were pouring concrete driveways without re-bar. They added a plastic zip tie

that they claimed replaced the need for the re-bar, They just added it to the mixer. Not sure how it would work coming

out of a spray nozzle. May not need anything. I understand shot crete is much stronger than concrete. Sprays on almost

dry. Probably they have a similar formulation. Very interesting as far as I am concerned. Better quality control. You would

still need the same building contractors just not as many. These machines wound also need set up, running, maintenance.

We shall see.

[harrry]

Guess we get back to those 1930s or so curved walls so that you could never buy furniture to fit.

[thrilled]

The company that builds this 3D printer,is it publicly trades on the stock market?I might want to invest in it.

[harrry]

The company that builds this 3D printer,is it publicly trades on the stock market?I might want to invest in it.

It says a University in the article. First stage.

[harrry]

Maybe they could send it to canada and it could print igloos with just water.

[Spoonman]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

Phanteon in Rome is build in concrete without steel reinforcement – it’s still standing strong after 1,894 years (build 120 as Jupiter Temple, converted to church about year 600).

From Wikipedia: »Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus [circular 9 m/27 ft wide light hole at top of the dome] and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).«

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

Believe you can build in concrete without steel, if you do the right concrete mix – as the Romans did it.

Thats all well and good KhunPer but Iam almost certain it was not built in a day.

[khunPer]

No steel reinforcement at all ?

I was thinking the same thing....but doesn't the robot do that also?

Phanteon in Rome is build in concrete without steel reinforcement – it’s still standing strong after 1,894 years (build 120 as Jupiter Temple, converted to church about year 600).

From Wikipedia: »Almost two thousand years after it was built, the Pantheon's dome is still the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus [circular 9 m/27 ft wide light hole at top of the dome] and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres (142 ft).«

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome

Believe you can build in concrete without steel, if you do the right concrete mix – as the Romans did it.

Thats all well and good KhunPer but Iam almost certain it was not built in a day.

Sure, right – Rome was not build in one day...!

PS: One main factor in concrete, from what I've learned, is the curing – need 28 days to cure.

[ikory]

After I saw the Iron man suit and a working car made from 3D printing I bought stock in a few 3D companies. This is going to be a big part of our future.

The 3D printed car kinda sucked but it drove and I can see the future in it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[David48]

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