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The introductory video report showcases a promising solution for improving housing affordability by reducing dependence on manual labor and heavy equipment. The technology is provided by a Czech company.
*Source: Czech Television
This project is a 3D concrete print of an entire residential building that is being built in the Luxembourg village of Niederanven. It was built by ICE Industrial Services from Žďár nad Sázavou, a company that specializes in this new technology and was chosen by the local authorities for the project.
"They are trying to develop sustainable housing and find new construction methods, so they approached us asking if we would use our technology on this prototype project of theirs, saying that they would try it out, and based on that, they would like to implement about 40 more buildings with the same approach in the future," Dominik Stupka, project manager of the Czech company, tells SZ Tech.
"These are printed walls that already have a built-in cavity for thermal insulation, pre-prepared openings for windows and penetrations for installations. The goal in construction is actually to produce as many finished products as possible, which you then don't need to plaster or modify further, it's already standing and complete," adds Michal Mačuda, architect at ICE Industrial Services.
The house made using 3D printed concrete has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has a living room with a kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, and a hallway, totaling 56 square meters. The double perimeter wall provides sufficient insulation. The introductory video report includes a visualization of the fully finished house, complete with interior furnishings.
The Luxembourg municipality wants to rent out the house as starter housing for young couples. The project authors emphasize the potential for fast, affordable, and environmentally sustainable construction as a solution to the housing crisis. Utilizing technology and robotics from a company based in Žďár, the construction process took just two weeks, following a week of technical tests primarily focused on assessing the performance of locally sourced concrete. The total cost for the house, inclusive of all installations and equipment, is expected to be around eight million crowns.
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"According to our calculations, the price for the structural shell is at least comparable or even lower - it depends on local conditions and the use of the material. To make it as affordable as possible, we use classic concrete, which any concrete plant has. And then it's just a matter of how much you put in there. The volume of the walls is still the same as with bricks or anything else. But bricks, for example, have a predetermined internal structure, while a printer can make it any way you can think of. So it's about design, statics, and how cleverly the material is handled, i.e., how much can be put in there," Stupka continues, explaining one of the benefits of 3D printing with concrete.
"Today, you have prefabricated products like bricks, windows that can be assembled on the construction site. This machine can produce a straight or curved wall, or a wall with a different structure, for the same price. This versatility allows us to experiment a lot with the variety of designs and the properties of the walls. We work a lot with ergonomics, adapting the space to the user, and this is far easier to achieve with 3D printing than with the standard method. For architecture, how to actually design for 3D printing is a big challenge - it's not just about the new technology, but also about shifting the design process and automating it," adds Mačuda.
ICE Industrial Services, based in Žďár nad Sázavou, is not the only company in Europe or worldwide that specializes in 3D printing with concrete. The Belgian company Kamp C and the Irish company HTL.tech possess giant concrete printers, measuring up to 10 by 10 meters, capable of printing two-story or terraced houses simultaneously.
However, the Czech company differs from its competitors in two ways. It uses regular concrete from local producers, while most other companies use a special prefabricated mixture, which they often have to import over long distances.
The second difference is the compactness of its machines, which includes mechanical arms both on wheels and on a stationary base. These machines have already been used to construct notable projects, for example, the first cable car station of its kind in the world in the Kopřivná ski resort or a sanitary room in one of the buildings of the new Modřanský cukrovar residential district, currently being built in Prague by Skanska.
"We are a technology company that develops printers. For example, there is a model from last year, but this year a new one is being built, so we can adapt the technology to the customer's requirements. This printer is relatively heavy, which is why we did not use it for Skanska, where the load-bearing capacity of the ceilings was being addressed. Instead, we have a stationary printer that is lighter, and we used it there. If the customer has a specific request, for example, that they want to build partitions in an apartment building, we are able to design a printer that allows them to do this," explains architect Michal Mačuda.
"We have negotiated with a lot of cities and regions. Now we are probably closest to the realization of a church, a public sacral building, likely to be in Neratovice. If this project comes to fruition, it will be a significant structure, and we are very hopeful about its progress," adds project manager Dominik Stupka.
The question now is not if, but when a residential project utilizing new technologies will emerge in the Czech Republic. This goes beyond just 3D printing with concrete. Greenbuild, a subsidiary of the building materials manufacturer Wienerberger, is advancing in the development of bricklaying robots capable of laying bricks. The company is currently finalizing the construction of several homes in the UK and is gearing up for a project in Slovakia.
3D concrete printers could play a significant role in addressing a pressing challenge the construction industry is likely to face in the future: a labor shortage and the potential exodus of workers from the field. Factors such as the upcoming reconstruction of Ukraine and the declining interest in physically demanding labor roles may contribute to this issue. Fortunately, these robots can be easily operated using a tablet.
"The operator is primarily responsible for positioning the print arm precisely, initiating the print process, flushing the print head, and monitoring the material throughout the procedure. They possess the skill to make minor adjustments to ensure that the surface is adequately prepared and that the material hardens correctly. Additionally, a second individual monitors the timely dosing of concrete to ensure a consistent flow of material," explains Mačuda.
"Constructing a house with just two people can be challenging, but this machine makes it feasible. The trajectory of technological advancement is largely influenced by both a shortage of labor and people's reluctance to engage in heavy manual labor. Ultimately, operating such a machine is more akin to being an operator than to performing labor, making it a more appealing option for young people compared to the effort of hauling bricks," explains Stupka.
*Author: Jan Novák, Seznam Zprávy