Building houses on a 3D printer

With the help of modern construction 3D printers it is possible to build houses of different shapes and sizes. Specialized complexes allow you to print both small private cottages and large format multi-storey residential buildings.

Printing a house on a printer is much faster and more convenient than building it using traditional technology. Full automation eliminates human error and improves the quality of construction. 3D printers create buildings with complex architecture: curvilinear, multi-level, non-standard format, embodying any idea of the architect or client.

Features of 3D construction printing

For the construction of buildings and structures using 3D printers, the method of straight contour printing is used. The equipment builds wall contours from fast-setting mixtures: fine-grained concrete, gypsum, and polymer sand compositions. The printed wall frameworks are then filled with foam concrete or other materials as required by the project.

The basis of 3D printing technology is additive synthesis, the step-by-step creation of an object based on a three-dimensional model directly at the construction site. 

Additive technologies are used to create both individual building elements and small architectural forms, as well as entire buildings. 

The technology of layer-by-layer application of construction mixtures allows you to experiment: use pigments to create colored elements, aggregates and polymer additives that increase the strength of concrete products, their color or other properties.

We manufacture portal and crane printing systems. The construction printers of Smart Build Service work with the contour printing method - they form the outer and inner contour of the walls of houses and apartment buildings of various sizes, any kind of buildings, structures or fortifications.

3D construction algorithm

The construction of a house consists of several stages. The work is done step by step according to the digital model. Printing starts from the foundation and gradually builds the structure vertically:

• The 3D printer software processes the job files and "slices" the model into individual horizontal layers. According to this data, the machine builds a trajectory and applies layers of material overlapping each other.
• The extruder of the printer, fixed to the structure of the equipment, moves in three axes X, Y, Z according to the specified parameters and applies the building mixture in the specified areas. The printer feeds the mixture under pressure and distributes it evenly, layer by layer, over the entire contour of the future structure.
• The machine prints the monolithic frame and simultaneously forms the interior walls. Software integration and a well-defined design ensure high accuracy - the printers create structures that fully match the three-dimensional models.
• After printing, the interior walls are filled with foam concrete, transoms are poured, and roofs, windows, and doors are installed.

During operation, the print area can be adjusted to suit the project. For example, you can increase the print area by installing additional elements, or print individual areas in the center of the building to create islands.

It is also possible to print a house using prefabrication technology. In this method, a structure is built from elements that are created in advance on a 3D printer under factory conditions. These printed elements are brought to the site and mounted on a prefabricated foundation.

Materials for 3D printing houses

Fine-grained mixtures based on concrete, foam concrete, polymer composites and gypsum are used for 3D printing of residential buildings. They are loaded in advance into automated mixing stations, which are part of the basic equipment of our construction complexes. 

The recipes of the mixtures are constantly improved: the proportions of the components are changed according to the size and type of the construction, as well as according to the construction tasks.