How 3D printing can impact the Australian real estate market

By Erin Johnson

May 19, 2020

undefined mins

More and more architects and contractors are beginning to use 3D printing in their construction models, and according to our sister publication Construction Global, 3D printing could revolutionize the construction industry as well as affect housing affordability due to a less expensive process.

Decreasing costs

Chinese construction company Winsun has claimed to have built 10 3D constructed houses in one day at a cost of just $5,000 per house. Earlier this year, Winsun took its 3D printing construction beyond single houses, building a five-story apartment building and an 11,840-square-foot villa.

Winsun used a large 3D printer that fabricates the building parts in large pieces at the company's facility. Winsun then assembled the pieces on-site adding steel reinforcements and insulation.

Winsun says the 3D process saves between 30 and 60 percent of construction waste, can reduce production times by 50 to 70 percent and reduce labor costs by 50 to 80 percent, according to an article from CNET.

How it’s done

The 3D printing process is completed using large printers that use a special concrete and composite mixture that is thicker than regular concrete. This allows the mixture to be self-supporting as it sets. As such, 3D printed components do not have the same design constraints that may hinder current construction methods.

Curved concrete structures created through 3D printing can also be hollow, requiring less material and creating a space for building services inside the structural elements.

“Contour crafting technology has great potential for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components,” said USC professor Behrokh Khoshnevis in an interview with Business Insider.

Khoshnevis hopes to develop a gigantic 3D printer that could print an entire house in a single run, including the structure and all its conduits.

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