India’s First Indigenous 3D Printed Multi-Floor Residential Building
When it comes to innovation and adapting to new technology, Larsen & Toubro continues to push the boundaries. L&T company has now achieved a new milestone by constructing India’s First 3D-Printed Multi-Floor (240 sq.ft, 2800 mm-high) residential building at Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. This achievement is the milestone for the validities of 3D printing.
L&T claims that “Developing of 3D printed building is very first of this type in India. It has the massive potential to significantly alter affordable houses, quality and speed of construction”. L&T has also set a world record for the first time ever, concrete mixed with crushed sand (more than 4.75 mm size) has been used in a 3D printer. Experiments are being done worldwide to study the feasibility of using 3D printing technology to construct buildings.
The concept was developed in-house by Concrete Management Department in association with M/S COBOD, makers of gantry-type 3D printers. While designing up its strategic road map, B&F identified 3D concrete printing as a technology disruptor with the potential to radically redefine construction methodology and industry dynamics.
L&T further states that deciding the perfect concrete mix posed several challenges. The printing process also included vertical bars ( support pillars and beams) and horizontal “Distributors” using welded. To make it economical, the team developed the concrete mix using construction materials which are normally used for concretes and thereby avoided pre-packed materials. The mixture is tested with various combinations of fines, fibers, plasticizers, retarders, accelerators, etc. to ensure the right viscosity and concrete setting time.
The Concrete Management team developed a perfect mixture that fulfills all requirements. The market research revealed that the 3D printer most suitable for the purpose is the one manufactured by COBOD International A/S of Denmark. The automated 3D printer required 106 working hours to completing this building. This stands for about four and a half days of building time if the printer worked non-stop, and for average human labor time, would amount to close to two weeks. The mix was tested on a small scale at COBOD’s warehouse in Dubai and was found suitable. L&T imported COBOD’s Version 1 Gantry type printer and commissioned it at the Kanchipuram facility.
Senior Executive Vice-president at L&T Construction states that “Not only will 3D printing speed up the manufacturing of multi-floor constructions but actually improve the quality and durability of houses”. This will have a huge positive impact on the market, presently most of the people cannot afford their own house in the country, particularly in urban areas. But this project has changed the perspective of the common man towards technology completely as these 3D printed houses are economical, convenient & environmentally friendly. This initiative not only marked a Technological-turn in the building construction but begins a New Era of indigenous Eco-friendly construction.
