Purchasing a home could finally be within reach—even for Millennials still indulging in avocado toast and lattes. Weber Beamix and BAM Infra united to build a 3D concrete printing facility, which could change how we create houses and make them more affordable.
Also in the partnership are the companies behind the 3D printed bicycle bridge in the Netherlands and the 3D printed residential homes in Eindhoven. The metal wire company Bekaert, the Technical University of Eindhoven and others.
The partners are opening “Europe’s first commercial industrial production site for 3D printing of concrete elements for construction,” or, essentially, a 3D-printed house and bridge factory.
This commercial industrial location in Eindhoven, Netherlands is where they will develop concrete printed parts in a fast and efficient manner.
Also in the works is a collaboration with the province of Noord-Holland to print four further bridges for the area. The consortium is working on printing parts for the five residential homes in Eindhoven as well. You can see the technology in action in this video:
Benefits of Europe’s First Commercial Industrial Production Site
The consortium will be able to work more efficiently and produce larger parts in a shorter amount of time with the industrial production site, it said. There are also plans to scale up “in all areas”.
Further advantages of working like this include increasing design freedom, which will lead to using less concrete for the same results. With less concrete comes less CO2, which will reduce emissions and waste, since “no formwork is needed.”
Lastly, because all parties involved in working a project will be able to look at the same design, error rates will be reduced.
The plant is exciting, but it will still be a while before the technology is ready for the masses.
For more information on this exciting venture, check out these related stories:
An Entire Community of 3D Printed Homes is Coming to Eindhoven Next Year TU Eindhoven Commences Construction of a 3D Printed Bridge for Bikes 3D Printed Concrete at Eindhoven University of TechnologySource: BAM Infra Website
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