The largest 3D printer in the world is being prepared to start printing a two-storey house on the site of Kamp C, the Provincial Centre for Sustainability and Innovation in Westerlo, Belgium.
Kamp C is looking to persuade the Flemish construction industry of the merits of this innovative technique with practical examples. "This technique is gradually gaining momentum," says Kai van Bulck, who represents Kamp C in the C3PO-project.
The printer that Kamp C purchased is mainly suited for printing concrete building components. "But which composition should the concrete have to ensure the printing process is as efficient as possible? This will obviously depend on the application, as we will see first-hand once we start printing," said Mr Van Bulck.
In addition to this, Kamp C will also be conducting research on concrete and reinforcement. "Currently we don't know whether we need to incorporate reinforcement in the printed components. If this proves necessary, obviously the next question will be how we can do this most efficiently and what will this mean in terms of legislation."
Companies will be able to experiment with the printer until 2020, giving them plenty of time to discover all the advantages of this technique. "The concrete printer mainly offers a lot of added value for more complex building components," he says. "I'm thinking of vaulted ceilings or curved walls. Nowadays these components are still produced on-site. Who knows, maybe this will no longer be necessary thanks to the printer."
According to Mr Van Bulck, the test phase at Kamp C will be the final push that will sway the Flemish construction industry. "We expect that the construction industry will change tack as soon as we can demonstrate which components can be printed and what are the efficiency gains."
