The construction of houses today wastes a great deal of resources. A large amount of rubbish and garbage accumulates during the construction of houses, including timber waste and construction waste. Once operational, such buildings consume enormous amounts of energy. According to sector-wise energy consumption and water usage, such houses rank first and second, respectively.
An alternative to such an expensive and wasteful method of construction of houses as suggested by experts is building houses using 3D printing technology. This may prove to be the best solution to the problem of housing shortage in countries like India. 3D printing uses technology that is faster, more efficient and also the cheapest mode in comparison to the traditional method of construction.
Time Factor
One of the greatest advantages of using this technology is that a single-storey house that measures about 600 square feet can be built in just five days and can be customized according to the needs of the place. This can be made following the need of the hour, for example, a government-based plan for housing programmes or disaster resettlement. Such homes aren’t of low quality, especially considering these houses are affordable and resilient to disasters such as earthquakes and cyclones. In hindsight, houses that are built using traditional methods are far more vulnerable to such natural disasters.
The Benefits
The use of 3D printing technology in building new houses has various benefits, some of which include a massive reduction in the time of constructing houses due to the efficiency of the machine. Concrete is extruded from a huge machine into layers that create the walls, footing and foundation of the building during the process. While printing, the machine does not require much monitoring or someone to monitor the situation at the site, and this proportionally reduces the number of accidents and saves money on compensating workers.
This technology cuts the price down by nearly 20% when compared to traditional methods, especially with the reduction in time spent on logistics of construction materials and manpower. It is important to note that as of today, the cost of constructing a 2BHK is in the range of 5-6 lakh rupees.
Conclusion
As per the World Economic Forum by the year 2030, more than three billion people will require improved housing with better facilities. With 90% of the cities worldwide lacking cheap and affordable or appropriate housing, the world needs to act on this issue right now. Despite the obstacles, the 3D printing of houses is a slow but steady process. The 3D method is bound to be more considered and developed in another ten years or so. When innovations are combined with environmentally sustainable goals, the concept of less is more. The industry is poised for a healthy growth curve.
With more than 1 million urban people being homeless in India and nearly 65 million people living in slums according to census data, numerous entrepreneurs have started using 3D printing technology to construct houses to build affordable living homes within a period of 24 hours or less. With lower costs and swifter projects, this opens the opportunity for more people around the world to have houses for themselves.