Recently, Dubai’s Ministry of Planning and Development officially issued the first permit to Nakheel to use 3D printing technology to build buildings, which marks Dubai’s strong support for 3D printing technology and the legal “popularization” of 3D printing technology.
Dubai has a long-standing interest in 3D printing technology and has successfully implemented a number of iconic 3D printed architectural projects around the world, including the world’s largest 3D printed building and the world’s first 3D printed mosque. Not only that, Dubai is also the first city in the world to introduce and implement a 3D printed building certification system.
It is reported that the system covers many core areas such as product quality and raw material evaluation, manufacturing equipment and machinery efficiency optimization, manufacturing operation technology standard setting at each stage, and factory management system fluency. By keeping these key elements under control, Dubai is committed to providing solid quality assurance for its 3D printed buildings.
Dubai ensures that by 2030, up to 25% of buildings will be able to be built efficiently using 3D printing technology.
3D printing is a software-driven, computer-controlled production technology that uses bondable materials such as powdered metal or plastic to construct objects by printing them layer by layer.
The use of 3D printing technology to inject innovative elements into the construction industry has long ceased to be a new thing that attracts attention. This technology not only enables the widespread use of environmentally friendly materials, but also opens up unprecedented possibilities and potential for the construction industry by introducing advanced civil engineering tools that allow architects and contractors to incorporate energy-efficient design structures or other unique design elements early in the project.
In commercial applications, 3D printing technology has shown great attraction to the construction industry, mainly due to its significant construction efficiency and ability to cope with labor shortages. Compared to the time and manpower required for traditional wood construction, 3D printing technology can build more houses faster than ever before, while greatly reducing the dependence on human resources.
In the field of construction, the application of 3D printing house technology mainly focuses on the printing of walls, especially the construction of walls of concrete structures. This innovative construction method uses concrete instead of traditional materials such as wood to construct a one-story wall system at a time through precise layered extrusion.
However, compared with ordinary 3D printing technology, 3D printing of concrete faces greater technical challenges. Ensuring smooth printing, increasing curing speed, ensuring alkalinity resistance, enhancing adhesion, and reducing the impact of climatic variables are all crucial technical elements. These difficult technical requirements make the 3D printing of concrete in practical applications, and the final printed building has excellent performance and stability.
In the foreseeable future, the application of coatings in alkalinity resistance will have a broader stage. Compared to wood, concrete is more porous and more alkaline. As a result, the concrete must be water-cured before it can be painted. As a result, highly alkalinity resistant coatings will usher in unprecedented market opportunities and application space, as they can significantly shorten the cycle of construction projects.
Although it will take time for 3D printing technology to be applied on a large scale in the construction field, Dubai’s active attempts and the unremitting efforts of many raw material companies and coating formulators have undoubtedly revealed the infinite possibilities and great potential of 3D printing technology in the construction industry.
