Page 16 - The Indian EYE 041522

OP-ED APRIL 15, 2022 | The Indian Eye 16

HOW ABOUT

PRINTING A HOUSE!

The possibility of 3D printing of houses has generated a lot of excitement.

Will this new construction technique solve the affordable housing challenge facing the world?

The possibility of 3D printing there is less wastage. In most places up using this mode of construction
of houses has generated a lot of ex- the raw material is poured in on-site, – from Mexico to Russia and from
citement. Will this new construction thus reducing carbon emissions of Dubai to Europe.
technique solve the affordable hous- transport. Companies are contin- For all the interest it is gener-
ing challenge facing the world? As uously working on making the raw ating, the technology currently does
per UN estimates, by 2030, almost 60 materials and process more environ- have some challenges. As of now, the
percent of 8.3 billion people will live ment friendly. buildings so constructed are basic
in cities, and the world will need 300 Printed houses can use appro- and functional, and most of them are
million new homes. Many feel that priate materials to adapt to local single floor. For stacking one floor
traditional housing will not be suf- conditions, consequently energy can on top of another, companies are us-
ficient to meet future global needs. be saved on power consumption for ing traditional scaffolding. Further,
It is expensive, labor-intensive, and ACs and heaters. They can be used building laws and codes will need to
takes months to complete. There- efficiently in the wake of natural ca- be modified to accommodate and
SADHNA SHANKER fore, construction through 3D print- lamities also, apart from fulfilling the regulate such structures.
ing is looked at with great interest. need for affordable housing. And the Like any other technology, print-
Printed homes, are constructed technology has the potential to help ed houses may become the norm in
n the 1980s when my father was in a speedier manner, and it is esti- in construction of structures and the future or remain merely as inter-
constructing his single-storey
Ihouse, it took more than three mated that they would cost 30% less housing on the Moon and Mars! esting landscapes in some areas. This
than traditional constructions. This
As per reports. the global mar-
mode of building has not yet taken
years for completion. Traditional technology allows for better usage ket for construction 3D printing is the construction industry by storm.
construction has speeded up, and of materials, greater intricacies of expected to grow from $0.01 billion However, it does hold hope and
presently maybe in 6 to 8 months the design, and also reduces labor and in 2021 to $0.02 billion in 2022, and promise for the future.
same house can be built. To cut short transportation costs, making it green- reach $0.87 billion in 2026 at a CAGR
the time further, the new technique er than traditional construction. of 169.3%. Asia Pacific is reportedly Sadhna Shanker is a writer based in
of construction through 3D printing As the exact quantity of concrete the fastest growing market. Across New Delhi, India
is now in the arena. and other materials used are known, the world many buildings have come
Recently in Chennai, a 600 sq. ft,
one-storey, one bedroom house, was
constructed through 3D printing in a
mere five days!
‘Additive manufacturing’ as it
is called has been around since the
early 1980s, but has now entered the
mainstream. Its use in making things
ranging from orthopedic implants to
components for aircraft is already
well established.
3D printing has one underlying
principle; the details vary according
to the products and processes in-
volved. It uses computer-aided-de-
sign (CAD) software or 3D object
scanners to direct hardware to de-
posit material, layer upon layer, in
precise geometric shapes. It adds
material to create an object. On the
other hand, conventionally machin-
ing or other techniques are needed
to remove surplus material to create
a shape. By varying the shape, and
sometimes the composition of each
layer, objects that would be difficult
or impossible to produce with con- India's first 3-D printed house in Chennai
ventional techniques can be created.

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