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3D printed houses


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On 28/03/2023 at 21:38, Radian said:

No square edges for architraves or skirtings. Or am I too firmly stuck in 'the old ways' 🙄

 

I think the plan is just a minimal trim on the door and window bucks and caulk to the print. Should be a fast process.

 

They're obviously beginning at a medium/highish spec side of the market to cover the costs of the initial set up with that comes the investment needed in the tech.  I think this is one of the reasons for the very high ceilings and polished concrete floor. They can absorb the imperfections in the wall quality by compensating elsewhere. 

 

A low ceiling and bog standard floors and it'd probably look a bit cheap. However I really like it. I love the organic feel to the curved walls. Really sympathetic. 

 

 

A couple of issues I see. 

 

1. Thermal bridging at the windows and doors. 

2. In flexibility with layout of sockets etc once built. 

3. The printer seems to need a foundational all of its own which appears to be a pretty precise structure. 

4. How well would the concrete paste perform in very wet weather. 

 

Advantages maybe not mentioned. 

 

1. Raw materials, aggregate and cement are super cheap and readily available worldwide. 

2. No plastering

3. No chasing walls

4. Great flexibility with design. Just draw it in CAD and press GO.

5. Ability to make very wide cavities for insulation. 

6. Very sound proof. 

7. No more suffering for brickies. 

 

 

Thoughts on potential applications. 

 

1. Foundations. It would be super accurate and asthetics are not an issue. Could easily do the job of strip foundations without all the hassle of layout etc. Suitable for any kind of build. No need for the footings even to be level. In fact it could do them too. 

 

2. If used to print an arch it could replace lintels and even make domes to complete roof structures. 

 

3. Farm buildings for animal handling etc. Often require curves etc. This could do it all if the price was right. No sharp corners that can hurt animals. 

 

4. It could print floors too. Just add a few mm of pumped screed to finally level it out. 

 

5. Add a nozzle with EPS bonded beads and it could make super insulated structures on one pass. 

 

 

 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Iceverge said:

5. Add a nozzle with EPS bonded beads and it could make super insulated structures on one pass. 

 

I was thinking Icynene, but yes, while the head is in position - why not? Services shouldn't be in the cavity anyway.

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I love the US for this. The capacity to just give something a go, and the willingness and capacity of investors to throw cash at moonshot ideas. 

 

Can you imagine how here in the old world we would react. Years of head shaking, tutting, twitching curtains and murmuring about how it'll never work. Infact a majority actively hoping for failure. 

 

The planners would take a year of inquires, letters and statements to conclude civilised society would collapse without a glue on fiberglass brick effect chimney. 

 

Edited by Iceverge
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I've occasionally wondered why construction companies don't use Maslow style CNCs on building sites. Easily fit in a Transit Van and being able to knock out repeatable shapes from 2.4x1.2 OSB or Ply panels has to be a time saver for things like soffits or door/window casings etc. I'm very tempted to construct one but wouldn't have much use for it these days.

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Interesting stuff, hopefully it allows for some interesting and individual homes.

 

Unfortunately the pessimist in me sees Persimmon shitting out 1,000s of grey cornflakes box houses across the land with armies of guys with silicone and expanding foam, filling in massive gaps and gluing already crumbling concrete.

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27 minutes ago, Ralph said:

gluing already crumbling concrete

That toothpaste method doesn't allow for movement in shrinkage, so it willl crack a lot. I'm assuming that it is allowed to shrink and crack, and then outer and inner skins conceal it.

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I think the material mix is highly engineered.  Not just any old sand and cement.  Also the process will be sensitive to environmental conditions - temperature, humidity, sun, wind, rain.  I don't see it is a viable means of building low to mid range housing but I am sure with the effort going in to improve it there will be applications elsewhere.

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3 hours ago, Kelvin said:

There was a Grand Design episode where a young team of builders had put together a process for constructing SIP panels on-site. 

Trying to google GD + SIP is returning too much noise. Any other clues to help me find which episode it was?

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13 minutes ago, Radian said:

Trying to google GD + SIP is returning too much noise. Any other clues to help me find which episode it was?

Been searching for it but can’t find it. It was a group of young builders using a mobile panel making machine (I think) So they had all the speed and practicality of using SIP panels and none of the overheads of operating a factory. 

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5 hours ago, Iceverge said:

civilised society would collapse without a glue on fiberglass brick effect chimney

I've gone from being amused to unreasonably angry about these things now. Just watched some getting craned up to the roofs of some nearby new-builds.

I can't think of any other anachronism other than faux leaded windows that have such a potential to introduce unnecessary points of failure in a building.

Having said that, I do have faux leaded windows. The only good thing about them is that we never get bird strikes on them - unlike the big sliders on the new extensions.

A Pidgeon flew straight into the door I was sat next to at the dining table and it nearly frightened the life out of both of us. I think the Pidgeon recovered before I did.

 

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