Decarbonization Innovation: 3D Printing for Sustainable Buildings
The climate urgency demands innovative solutions to reduce our carbon footprint, including in the construction sector. 3D printing, an ever-evolving technology, is emerging as a sustainable answer to building structures. Several startups are positioning 3D printing as the next, most attractive sustainable, efficient, and affordable option for home construction.
So what are the most tangible benefits of 3D printing for buildings?
Reduced Transport
In traditional construction, building materials are often produced at a distant location from the construction site, requiring long-distance transportation. This logistical process consumes significant fuel, produces greenhouse gas emissions, and puts pressure on transportation infrastructure. In contrast, 3D printing is an on-site process. 3D printers can be installed directly at the construction site, eliminating the need to transport vast quantities of materials over long distances.
Less Waste
3D printing significantly reduces waste production at the construction site. It utilizes an additive approach, where material is added layer by layer to create the structure. Unlike traditional construction, which often involves cuts and adjustments, 3D printing generates minimal to no construction waste. The material is used efficiently, reducing waste by up to 30%* and contributing to responsible resource management. Moreover, one of the most promising advances of 3D printing is its ability to transform waste to wealth such as plastic waste into durable construction materials, preventing non-recycled plastics from contaminating the environment.
Faster Construction
The use of 3D printing in construction is revolutionizing the speed of building by simplifying many steps inherent in traditional construction. This technology allows for the creation of structures without the need for manual assembly of individual components, reduces material drying time, eliminates the need for scaffolding installation, decreases the number of workers on-site, and thus minimizes the risk of human errors.
3D printers have shown to be able to create a house in as little as 12 to 24 hours when compared to traditional construction methods where it would have taken months to complete.
Durable Materials
Construction waste and other recycled materials can be transformed into filaments or powders suitable for 3D printing. This approach reduces dependence on virgin materials while minimizing construction waste. In addition to recycling plastic, other sustainable materials are already available. Examples include durable materials like biopolymers and composites. Biopolymers are made from renewable raw materials, such as cornstarch or algae, and are biodegradable. Composites combine multiple materials to achieve specific properties like increased strength and lightness. These materials enable the construction of lighter, durable, and environmentally friendly structures.
Reducing Raw Material Dependency
3D printing offers the opportunity to design energy-efficient structures that require significantly less material compared to traditional production techniques. Reducing the amount of material leads to a substantial reduction in embodied energy and material waste, significantly contributing to the reduction of the carbon footprint inherent in a construction project.
Replacing High Embodied Energy Materials
The concept of embodied energy in materials, which is the energy required for their extraction, purification, manufacturing, and transportation, is a fundamental but often overlooked element in calculating the overall carbon footprint of a product. Conventional materials like concrete or steel are frequently associated with a high energy embodied due to the intensive processes required for their production.
In this objective, 3D printing minimizes the embodied energy in materials by substituting components traditionally made from high-embodied-energy materials. For example, many metal parts used in equipment or vehicle construction can be replaced with 3D-printed components using polymers or composites. These lightweight alternatives require less energy for production, resulting in an overall reduction in the project's carbon footprint.
Wrapping it up
3D printing technology holds immense potential to address sustainability challenges in the modern building and construction sector. Construction should adopt a process that combines traditional and 3D printing methods as construction advances. By offering significant advantages such as reducing their reliance on raw materials, decreasing transportation needs, relooping waste materials and generating less construction waste 3D printing plays a pivotal role in decarbonizing buildings and improving their life cycle impact. Additionally 3D printing can yield advantages on a financial aspect as construction times get shortened and waste gets better managed.
While challenges such as cost and a lack of regulation to date, the technology is being adapted on a project per project case. But as policies are put in place and people recognize the potential from actual case studies, the potential of this technology to shape a more sustainable future in construction is substantial.
*Sources:
New Story initiative : This 3D-Printed Home Costs $4000 and Takes 24 Hours to Build (realestate.com.au)
