3D Printed Houses?

[flatbutt]

Wow. Any input from those that know?

https://www.3dprintedhouse.us/

https://www.thezebra.com/resources/home/3d-printed-homes/

[Norm K]

I wonder how challenging future remodeling projects might be. Or will the technology evolve such that you can just move all your stuff out, raze the original and re-print the whole thing?

_

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Norm K

I wonder how challenging future remodeling projects might be. Or will the technology evolve such that you can just move all your stuff out, raze the original and re-print the whole thing?

_

I heard that there is an organization working on a recyclable process. That would be a game changer.

edit: here it is

https://singularityhub.com/2022/12/15/this-3d-printed-house-is-100-recyclable-because-its-made-of-sawdust/

[pavulon]

Someone is an NPR listener.

[flatbutt]

I source data from wherever it is available. Whether or not i believe it all as "information" is another matter entirely.

[GH85Carrera]

I have seen videos that propose sending robots to mars to 3D print the habitats before humans arrive. I just can't envision that working as an air tight way to do it. It will not happen anytime soon.

[jyl]

Looks like the printing is of the foundation forms and then part of the wall structure. Everything else - including roof and floors - is built conventionally. That determines the maximum amount of time and money this process can save. If foundation and walls are 20% of total “hard” house construction cost, and printing is 80% cheaper than conventional methods, then hard cost can be reduced by 16% (just a made-up example).

The reduction in total house cost may be much less than that, because printing doesn’t affect the “soft” costs (financing, permitting, selling, overhead) or the land cost. For the typical single family house in the US, soft and land costs can be comparable to hard costs. In other situations, that may not be so.

Concrete is not exactly an environmentally benign construction material. From an environmental standpoint, it may be better to use wood - renewable resource, sequesters carbon.

The ability to create curved and complex shapes is cool, but maybe of limited use for most housing.

Also, I am unclear on whether the void between the inner and outer walls has to be filled with rebar and poured cement, or if you can print an internal structure to the wall.

[cstreit]

This is "cool" but I don't see it as viable for anything but niche uses for some time yet.

[billybek]

A former student of mine is involved with this company.

https://ecoplast-solutions.com/

Looks like an interesting process.

[jamesnmlaw]

An extruded amalgam of shredded tires, plastic, and glass perhaps.

[IROC]

I think we developed a lot of the technology for this scale of printing here at ORNL. I saw a large 3-D printer that printed with concrete probably 6-8 years ago.

An article from back in the day:

https://www.ornl.gov/news/ornl-cincinnati-partner-develop-commercial-large-scale-additive-manufacturing-system

We 3-D print stuff all the time now. Like complex parts using titanium that simply can't be machined conventionally. Very handy.

[masraum]

I think I've seen a few videos of proposed home printing.

I wonder how they'll do in Cali (earthquakes) or FL (hurricanes).

[tadd]

Originally Posted by jyl

Looks like the printing is of the foundation forms and then part of the wall structure. Everything else - including roof and floors - is built conventionally. That determines the maximum amount of time and money this process can save. If foundation and walls are 20% of total “hard” house construction cost, and printing is 80% cheaper than conventional methods, then hard cost can be reduced by 16% (just a made-up example).

The reduction in total house cost may be much less than that, because printing doesn’t affect the “soft” costs (financing, permitting, selling, overhead) or the land cost. For the typical single family house in the US, soft and land costs can be comparable to hard costs. In other situations, that may not be so.

Concrete is not exactly an environmentally benign construction material. From an environmental standpoint, it may be better to use wood - renewable resource, sequesters carbon.

The ability to create curved and complex shapes is cool, but maybe of limited use for most housing.

Also, I am unclear on whether the void between the inner and outer walls has to be filled with rebar and poured cement, or if you can print an internal structure to the wall.

The CO2 expensive bit is making the quick lime. That could be captured. But what is interesting is that fresh concrete will reaborb 40-50% of what it took to create it in jst a few years. Process slows down as the CO2 has to go deeper into the slab or structure. Some design studies using a patterned or porous concrete suggest almost 90% could be readsorbed.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by tadd

The CO2 expensive bit is making the quick lime. That could be captured. But what is interesting is that fresh concrete will reaborb 40-50% of what it took to create it in jst a few years. Process slows down as the CO2 has to go deeper into the slab or structure. Some design studies using a patterned or porous concrete suggest almost 90% could be readsorbed.

That is super interesting. Thanks!

[island911]

"3D printing" is simply additive machining/manufacture. (typically computer automated, but not always - see 3D printing pens)

If a robot built a brick house would we call it a 3D printed house?

Or is a house "3d Printed" only if the additive manufacturing oozes through a nozzle like an FDM printer?

Yeah, considering that additive manufacturing/3D printing also includes SLS and LOM methods, I'm going to say "no" to the Q above, and "yes" to the Q above that..

[masraum]

Originally Posted by island911

"3D printing" is simply additive machining/manufacture. (typically computer automated, but not always - see 3D printing pens)

If a robot built a brick house would we call it a 3D printed house?

Or is a house "3d Printed" only if the additive manufacturing oozes through a nozzle like an FDM printer?

Yeah, considering that additive manufacturing/3D printing also includes SLS and LOM methods, I'm going to say "no" to the Q above, and "yes" to the Q above that..

Makes sense. 3D printed is essentially automated layering. From that point of view, building a brick wall is made the same (but not automated). If you got a robot of some sort to build a brick wall or brick house, then it would essentially be 3d printed.

[island911]

Yep.

In my view, 3D Printing has become an over-used buzz-word. ...like "green."

Combine "Green" with "3D Printing" and the crowd goes Oooooooh....

But really, dwellings have been additive manufacture (3D print/build) in pursuit of energy efficiency (green) ever since man left the dug-out hole in the ground /cave.

But, calling it Green 3D printed makes it oh so avant-garde.

It puts the hoity to the toity

So modern.

[cstreit]

It actually has been quite useful around my house. I've fixed our washer/dryer and a few other appliances by making hard-to-find parts like gears, levers, etc...

My 3D printer has definitely paid for itself.

[island911]

Same. - I have printed parts for so many weird applications.

But to 'print' a house?

Yeah, not the best tool, even if scaled up.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by masraum

Makes sense. 3D printed is essentially automated layering. From that point of view, building a brick wall is made the same (but not automated). If you got a robot of some sort to build a brick wall or brick house, then it would essentially be 3d printed.

I'm totally stealing this argument...you know...should I ever get into a debate over the difference 'tween the two.