Labor cost is one of the major factors of a construction project rate, and the tariff of labor increases, making housing more expensive. As per a survey conducted in recent years, an average residential house requires six months to finish, including long man hours. , But a new innovative construction method using 3D print construction needs much less time, around twelve to twenty-four hours, to build the foundation and wall structure more cost-effectively using the supply chain optimally. 3D concrete printing integrated with robotic systems significantly reduces gestation period, labor cost, material consumption wastage, and perilous human operation.
Alkali activated geopolymer
In 3D construction, printing concrete is the most widely used material to build the project, but researchers and developers are keen to use other building materials such as slag, fly ash, and silica fume as sustainable binders. Alkali-activated geopolymer can be substituted for concrete, which is more eco-friendly. While the concrete used in 3D printed house Canada is lightweight, high strength composition integrated with 3D foam concrete to make the structure more sustainable. Whatever the building material used in 3D construction printing, the carbon footprint is much less than a conventional logistic supply chain that uses extensive fossil fuel.
0.8 tons of CO2 footprint
The process of 3DCP ensures less carbon footage than a subtractive course, and it leads to less waste as the nozzles of the robotic arm create only what was on the planned layout. In fabrication, the carbon footprint is considerably higher in subtractive construction compared to 3D printing. The supply chain transportation of building materials to the proposed site produces more carbon footprint than fabrication alone. On the other hand, in 3D construction printing, these carbon-intensive steps are curtailed but with optimal operational efficacy. Traditional manufacturing and logistics supply creates around 14 tons of CO2, while energy-efficient 3D printing emits around 0.8 tons of CO2.
600-800 square foot
When the construction process uses 3D printing technology, the construction time is drastically reduced because the robotic arm fitted with nozzles can build six hundred to eight hundred square feet (fifty-five to seventy-five square meters) within a day. As the system is fully automated, the possibility of human error is almost nil. The construction layout and procedures are programmed in the 3D printer, so no additional material or support is required to achieve the threshold. Energy efficiency is a synonym to sustainability and eco–friendliness. Much more development is called for to make 3D construction 100% eco-friendly, but it certainly delivers stupendous environmental advantages.
High design flexibility
To print concave walls, less material is required. The technology utilizes an accurate amount of building material to convert digital files into real realm. As no on-site installation or formwork is required in 3D printing construction, no construction waste is produced that would usually dumped in landfills.
In addition, other than concrete, other renewable, sustainable materials can be used in 3D printing. As less material is used, decreasing waste and logistic supply chain and potentially deploying natural renewable materials, 3D printed homes produce much less carbon footprint. Though it is a completely automated process, changes in the digital layout can be easily made. A straight wall can be converted into a curved one, or a smooth surface into a jagged one. 3D printing offers high flexibility in design and is considerably eco-friendly.
