What does 3D printing technology mean for housing affordability?
ICON, a 2020 Ivory Prize finalist, demonstrates its Vulcan printer in action. Courtesy Regan Morton Photography
Worldwide, construction processes have been largely the same since humans decided to settle outside of caves and started building shelters for themselves. The traditional building process is very labor-intensive, time-consuming, and includes massive waste of products and many on-site mistakes.
On top of these challenges, the current labor shortage and disruption in supply chains has only aggravated the situation. According to a Kem C. Gardner Institute 2021 report, the state of Utah lacks approximately 44,000 housing units. Utah is not the only place where people are suffering from the lack of housing inventory in the market: this is the reality in all 50 states and many other countries worldwide.
3D printing is one of the latest advancements in the construction industry, where large nozzles lay construction material in 1-2 inch layers until reaching the desired height. 3D construction printers come in two major systems:
The first is called gantry, where the printing nozzle is attached to a framing structure that surrounds the entire building area. This system is used by most 3D printing companies such as ICON, SQ4D, COBOD, and Diamond Age 3D; all are previous Ivory Prize finalists or nominees.
The second system uses a robotic arm to maneuver around the construction site, providing more flexibility and a larger printing area than the Gantry system since no frame limits the printing area. This system is used by a few companies, such as Apis Cor, also a previous Ivory Prize nominee.
Although 3D printing is still a new technology in the construction industry, it has gained a lot of traction in the past several years as developers and contractors explore new solutions to expedite the production of homes and cut construction costs. Below is a list of reasons for why we at Ivory Innovations think that 3D printing is becoming more and more popular:
The printing process is almost entirely autonomous; in other words, it only requires a minimum number of workers to run the machine.
It provides more flexibility in building designs, enabling architects to incorporate more organic lines to blend in with the surrounding environment.
It cuts construction costs by almost eliminating waste from the printing process, as automating the building process promotes accuracy and reduces potential mistakes.
It cuts construction time from weeks to days by allowing tradespeople (such as framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC specialists) work simultaneously while the printing is in process.
It reduces financing costs as the construction duration is reduced.
It provides a safer jobsite because the process reduces the number of workers required to do risky jobs, including the heavy lifting of wood panels and studs.
On the other hand, after speaking with many 3D printing companies, we also see some disadvantages and limitations that could affect the expansion of 3D printing on a large scale:
Building size restrictions (horizontally and vertically). Most 3D printing companies use a gantry system, which limits the horizontal space available to the size of the printer’s frame. Vertically, the companies that we have researched can only print up to two floors. However, some of these companies (e.g., COBOD) are now researching the possibility of printing additional floors to enter the commercial multifamily building industry instead of only constructing single-family or townhome structures.
Current building codes (regulated by states and local jurisdictions) do not yet include rules to inspect and approve these 3D-printed homes. If an inspection has to happen, it must be during the printing process. Otherwise, the wall composition will not be visible for inspection after the printing process is complete. This is likely to limit adoption by developers.
Some printers use unique materials that are not widely available in all markets, which may hinder scale
Printers often produce round corners and uneven or wavy walls because the walls are printed layer by layer. This can create what is called the sausage effect and may limit developer adoption (although some people might consider this a unique design feature of the 3D printed structures).
In conclusion, we believe that 3D printing is a promising solution to improve housing affordability. We think 3D printing will be most beneficial when used in mid-density buildings like townhomes and small apartment buildings because it (1) reduces the work required to set and move the printer frame from one place to the next and (2) the buildings will not be very complicated to print. However, we acknowledge that this technology is still developing and further solutions are needed to find inexpensive, environmentally-friendly printing materials and increase the printable area and height. On the regulatory side of things, codes should be developed to create a clear ITP (Inspections and Testing Plan) to approve 3D printed projects.
Written by Amro Al-Nimri
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