Europe’s largest 3D-printed building is finally expected to be completed by July. It is currently under construction in the city of Heidelberg in southern Germany.
The structure will measure an impressive 55 meters in length, 11 meters in width, and 9 meters in height, serving as a data center when it will be completed.
Instead of relying on a team of numerous human workers, a giant robot is employed to print successive layers of concrete, expediting the construction process. The entire process is estimated to require a mere 140 working hours.
Kraus Gruppe, the company behind the project, ensures that the concrete employed is composed entirely of recycled materials, resulting in a 55% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to traditional Portland cement, the most commonly used cement worldwide.
“It’s very innovative. At a later stage it’s imaginable that there is just one person at the construction site to make sure nothing goes wrong,” said the developer, Hans-Joerg Kraus.
The developer also promises a distinctive architectural design for the building, resembling a curtain. The structure will encompass 18-degree overhangs, a feat deemed unattainable through conventional methods. Overhangs, protruding elements beyond the walls of a building, offer additional safeguarding against elements such as rain and sun, maintaining a secure and dry interior.
The interior of this curvilinear edifice will be adorned using a painting robot created by Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke (DAW), a German paint manufacturer. Kraus Gruppe envisions the construction to be finalized by July 2023.
Other such 3D projects were also seen in countries like Netherlands and China which shows that 3D printing technology is spreading worldwide. Dutch architects constructed a prototype house using plastic that was based entirely on plant oil.
The same year, Chinese firm WinSun 3D-printed a five-story apartment building and a 1,100 m2 villa using recycled materials.
“I am convinced that 3D printing has a bright future,” Kraus said. “But it’s clear that not everything being built in the next 20 years will come from a 3D printer”.
