Innovations in the Industry: 3D Concrete Home Printing

Did you know that, in a single day, a 3D-printed concrete home can be erected where only earth lay before? Did you know a home can be printed for under $5,000? Did you know that the entire concrete industry is under “renovation?”

Recently, the concrete industry and brilliant innovators have merged to solve a worldwide crisis: the severe lack of housing. ICON , an audacious team dedicated to revolutionizing homebuilding, is working to provide dignified housing around the world—with 3D concrete home printing.

ICON is dedicated to fighting the lack of housing by reinventing the homebuilding industry, an industry stuck in antiquity since the Middle Ages. They are successful in this endeavor. In 2018, they were the first American company to build a 3D printed home.

ICON focuses on three primary goals: affordability, sustainability, and availability. These goals directly correlate to three vital problems. Affordability—most people cannot purchase homes. According to U.S. News , nearly 40% of people cannot afford basic necessities. Sustainability battles against wasteful homebuilding. According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), thousands of pounds of materials are wasted from constructing homes. 3D concrete home printing severely limits waste.

Finally, making homes readily available can help end homelessness. Even in our modern world, over 1 billion people (or 1 in every 7) don’t have tolerable shelter. No one deserves to live in survival mode. This is why incredible innovations, such as 3D concrete home printing, are required to address such a prevalent issue.

The Vulcan II printer is the magnum opus of 3D printing. This incredible machine is “capable of 3D printing entire communities with up to 2,000 square foot homes,” ICON writes. Though it sounds like fiction, homes can literally be printed now—quickly and efficiently. The printer is commercially available for construction and, though quite large, is transportable.

ICON has developed a cement-based mixture, used in its 3D concrete home printers. Lavacrete is not just a typical building material. It is easily made, structurally sound, resilient, and resistant to time, natural disasters, and intense weather. Lavacrete may be the perfect material for housing across the world.

New Story is a non-profit organization and partner of ICON, also passionate about ending homelessness. The non-profit has been in the business of fashioning homes for those in need for years. However, the organization quickly realized that incredible innovations had to be pursued to truly tackle such a huge crisis. Especially due to ICON’s Lavacrete, which utilizes easily accessible ingredients, New Story latched on to the company’s Vulcan design. Armed with new technology, New Story can build homes for impoverished communities for less than $5,000—in 24 hours. This innovation in the concrete industry is on its way to alleviating a real-world crisis.

Cobra Concrete Cutting Services is devoted to staying on top of the latest trends, which is why we are thrilled about this incredible concrete industry innovation. We, too, seek to cut the concrete industry out of the stone age through revolutionary service and attitudes. We provide the excellent work that every customer deserves. If you have any questions about our concrete services, contact us today .