A complex of 36 3D-printed student apartments has opened in Holstebro, and the first residents are now moving in. The developer 3DCP Group says only 30 percent of the usual amount of concrete was needed.
The complex is described as Europe’s largest 3D-printed building, according to reporting by DR. It contains 36 apartments of 38 to 50 square meters. Physiotherapy student Amalie Hvas is among the first tenants to move in.
The walls were produced by a large 3D printer that lays concrete in long layers. The process resembles a plastic desktop printer, but at far greater scale and with a specially developed concrete mix. The robot is loaded with concrete and a drawing, and is operated from a computer.
Fewer workers and softer shapes
Jon Spangenberg, a professor at DTU, told DR that the method points to a potential productivity gain. Earlier construction work was more manual, he said. He noted that heavy lifting and repetitive tasks on the building site can be handed to machines.
Spangenberg also pointed to the geometric freedom the technology allows. Classic concrete construction uses large elements cast in molds, which produces mostly square shapes. The corners of the student housing in Holstebro are rounded instead.
Per the professor, the machine deposits material layer by layer until the finished geometry is complete. That freedom can also reduce how much concrete a structure needs. He said the result can be architecturally attractive buildings.
The carbon question
Spangenberg said cement production accounts for 7 to 8 percent of the world’s total man-made CO2 emissions. Cement is a key component of concrete. He stressed that 3D concrete printing is not automatically sustainable, and that the outcome depends on how the technology and materials are handled.
According to 3DCP Group, the Holstebro project used only 30 percent of the material normally required for classic concrete element construction. The company, which is behind the complex, is experimenting with alternative building materials. Spangenberg said there is longer-term potential to print with more sustainable materials.
The professor said he expects to see more of this type of construction in the future. He added that it will be interesting to see whether the project in Holstebro acts as a catalyst for wider use of the technology. He has no doubt the method holds significant potential in construction.
DR notes that the printed walls in Holstebro were built up gradually by the robot, one concrete layer at a time. The apartments are now in use as student housing in the West Jutland town.
