3D printers can now print with many more materials than just ABS and PLS plastic. Glass and metal are among the materials that are difficult but possible to 3D 3D printers can now print with many more materials than just ABS and PLS plastic. Glass and metal are among the materials that are difficult but possible to print with a 3D printer, and you can now add concrete to that list. 3D concrete printing opens the door to many new possibilities in the world of 3D printing, including a new ability to “print” large scale constructions structures like homes, houses and buildings.

3D Printing House with Concrete Cement

Scientists and engineers have been trying to 3D print concrete for a while now, but major strides have been made recently by researchers and professors at University of Southern California using a revolutionary new method they call “Contour Crafting.” Up until this point, one of the big challenges with 3D printing concrete has been building a printer head that allows the concrete cement to keep its form and shape while “printing.” How long does 3D printing concrete take? With the help of a custom 3D cement printer, professors at USC claim it is now possible to 3D print a 2000 square foot house in about 20 hours time, less than one day.

How Does 3D Concrete Printing Work?

This concrete 3D printer can work in a variety of ways. Like most 3D printers, USC’s 3D concrete printer can print top to bottom in layers, but one of the most exciting things about this cement printer is that it can be mounted on robotic arms, permitting the opportunity to program the 3D concrete printer to print multiple buildings and even whole neighborhoods at a fast rate. The ability to quickly 3D print low cost housing is one of the best things about this new 3D concrete printer.

3D Printing Cheap Concrete Buildings

Not everything that comes from 3D printing is good. We’ve discussed the 3D printed plastic gun controversy and the issue with 3D printer plastic waste created by failed 3D printer models. Like bioprinting, our new ability to 3D print concrete and cement opens up the possibility to provide cheap housing for low income families. Using traditional home building and construction methods, it now takes about 2 months to build a low cost home quickly. Think about how many affordable homes could be 3D printed with a concrete 3D printer in that time! 3D printing concrete will cut down on time, cost and even the number of injuries occurring during house construction.

Where Will the World’s First 3D Printed Cement House Be Located?

While the concrete 3D printer developed at USC is awesome, California isn’t the only place in the world where academics are gathering try to 3D print the first concrete or cement building. Being able to maintain the bragging rights as the engineer who “printed” the first building is enough to get the world’s best thinkers motivated! In Amsterdam, architects have developed another concrete 3D printer called the KamerMaker (Dutch for "room maker") that they hope will print the world’s first concrete 3D printed building, a Mobius Strip shaped building that definitely will show off what a 3D printer can do architecturally speaking. Renowned civil engineer Enrico Dini, the subject of a documentary called “The Man Who Prints Houses,” is also trying to 3D print concrete homes in Italy, but he plans on using the D Shape printer to do the job, the 3D printer used to “print” a moon colony and space habitat.

What country will 3D print the world’s first cement and concrete house or building? How will 3D printed concrete affect the global economy, the housing market, and the way we approach building and construction? Right now the verdict on 3D printing concrete is still out, but the world’s smartest people are racing to get the job done. Time will tell.