Earlier this year, Dubai announced that it had completed construction on the first 3D printed construction office building in the world.

While this may sound like a shocking claim, 3D printing technologies are appearing in dozens of industries around the globe, and their presence in the construction industry is becoming more and more regular.

While 3D printing technologies have the potential to have a positive effect on construction, there’s no doubt that they’re currently overhauling the face of the industry entirely.

What Is 3D Printing Technology?

3D printing technologies use an additive process to create three-dimensional objects from digital files. To create an object, 3D printers lay down layer after layer of material (such as plastic) to build an object according to a digital blueprint. Once the object is complete, evidence of the printing process can be seen in the minimal horizontal lines that run through the cross-section of the object, and are the evidence of the successional 3D printing process.

How 3D Printing Technologies Are Currently Impacting The Construction Industry

As it stands today, construction projects are expensive. Anyone who wants to build a home on a bare plot of land, for example, must pay not only for the materials but also the labor. As 3D printing becomes more popular, however, it could quickly eliminate many of these expenses and make the construction industry much more affordable and accessible for all people.

The office building in Dubai, for example, only cost $140,000 to construct, thanks to the fact that the 3D printing process eliminated the need to pay for labor or supplies.

In addition to making construction cheaper, 3D printing will also make it faster and safer. Currently, construction accounts for 5% of the economy, and experts are claiming that integrating 3D printing technologies more firmly into the building industry would result in more development, more efficient homes, and buildings constructed from 100% recyclable materials.

How 3D Printers Print Entire Buildings & How They Differ From Traditional Structures

If you think Dubai must have needed a massive printer to construct its office building, you’re right. The printer used for that project was 120 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 20 feet tall. Despite its massive size, however, the building was completed in 17 days, with the additional help of smaller, mobile printers.

To work on the large-scale, 3D printers operate the same way they do for smaller object – they simply lay down layer after layer of material to form a structure. While the printers required are much larger, the construction process is drastically faster than traditional building, and the costs are decreased dramatically.

The Future Of Construction Lies In 3D

While there will always be a place for traditional constructions, there’s no doubt that 3D printing technologies are making their way into the industry for good. In addition to making buildings cheaper to construct, 3D printing also makes construction safer, more eco-friendly, and less dangerous.

This, in turn, will serve to make the construction of quality buildings more accessible to people around the globe, while also decreasing the time and risk associated with traditional construction projects and services.

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