3D Printing for a Sustainable Futureby Adam Zhou | 01-01-2019 09:56 |
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 There has been drastic advancement in 3D Printing technology in the past few years. The technology has constantly been improving, to the point where we are able to print using concrete and glass. With development of concrete 3D printing, companies have managed to 3D print houses and structures. Along with this, the rise of modular construction methods is also seen around the world. Recently in Changsha, China, a 57 storey building was completed in just 19 days using modular construction methods and predesigned beams that were assembled together during construction. Evidently, tremendous opportunity for both 3D Printing and Modular Construction exists in cities around the world. The concept of 3D Printing buildings has been around for over 10 years. In 2004, Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California explored the basic concept of 3D Printing buildings through his Contour-Crafting method. This computer-automated technology makes use of a giant 3D Printer to fabricate the building. The process is done by adding concrete in a layer-by-layer fashion to build up the building¡¯s structure. 3D Printing used in construction has seen an increase in recent years. In March 2014, WinSun, a chinese company, successfully 3D printed a 5 storey apartment (claimed to be the world¡¯s tallest 3D Printed building) and a 1,100 m2 villa. The company fabricated large pieces of the apartment in a factory by using a 3D Printer that was 6.6 meters high, 10 meters wide and 40 meters long. The pieces were then assembled on site and augmented with insulation and steel reinforcements. Aside from 3D Printing, Modular construction has also increased usage and advancement. In 2015, the Chinese company Broad Sustainable Building constructed the Mini Sky City, a 57 storey building, in just 19 days. Zhang Yue, the company¡¯s CEO, insists that there will be a modular revolution in construction. He believed that construction could not only be faster and cheaper, but also safer. The company developed a new and cheaper modular form of steel structures that were prefabricated at a facility, then brought on site where they could easily be assembled. Yue now aims to build the tallest building in the world. Sky City is a proposed 220 storey vertical city set to be 838 meters high– 10 meters taller than the Burj Khalifa– and would theoretically be built in 7 months; 4 months for the foundations and 3 months for the building itself (for reference, the Burj Khalifa was built in 6 years). Modular 3D Printing also has many environmental benefits. The process of 3D Printing is more sustainable than traditional construction methods. The concrete pieces¡¯ modular design would allow them to be reused for other projects if not needed in its current project. The process would also use recycled concrete just like current 3D Printing efforts in buildings. Less CO2 would also be released as current 3D Printing methods have the potential to reduce energy costs by 50%. The decrease of pollution used by these construction methods would positively affect the wellbeing of citizens in the city.
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