Ontario Construction News staff writer
3D construction printing company, nidus3D has erected North America’s first multi-story 3D printed building in Kingston.
The company used the BOD2 printer from COBOD – technology used to 3D print the first 2- and 3-story buildings in Europe. It can print with real concrete with a particle size up 10 mm and 99 per cent locally found raw materials. COBOD developed D.Fab in partnership with the cement business Cemex.
The two-story, 2,300-sq. ft. house in Kingston will have a studio on the ground floor and a residence above. One of the innovative methods nidus3D developed in the project was a 3D printed horizontal beam printed on site and lifted into place by a crane.
“We have critical shortfall of skilled laborers, and a massive and growing demand for housing all across Canada,” said Ian Arthur, one of the nidus3D founders. “So, if we do not begin to look at new ways of building, we’re never going to catch up. It is part of our core values, to seek solutions to address the housing crisis and to help build affordable housing with the help of 3D printing”.
Proponents say 3D concrete printed houses can be built quickly. The Kingston building took only 80 hours to print.
“Our technology and 3D construction printers enables faster execution of construction projects, as well as more efficient construction at lower cost due to the lower labor requirements and usage of low-cost concrete,” said Philip Lund-Nielsen, co-founder & head of Americas at COBOD International.
“COBOD’s 3D construction printers have been used all over the world, and while this two-story building in real concrete is a first and a great success for us in North America, the world-wide success of our technology proves the wide scale applicability of our technology.”
