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Grunblau t1_j8fycp3 wrote

Reply to comment by AdrianValistar in Can 3-D Printing Help Solve the Housing Crisis? - Standard construction can be slow, costly, and inefficient. Machines might do it better. by speckz

I’ve seen some photos from the 50’s of ‘printed’ houses based on extruding concrete on simple arcs using a center pole as a pivot.

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Barabbas- t1_j8hjvob wrote

Most of those "houses" are glorified emergency shelters.

Ignoring the fact that concrete is one of the worst materials you can build with in terms of environmental impact, 3D printing doesn't solve the problem of building systems...

Electrical, plumbing, and sometimes even HVAC assemblies are typically housed in wall cavities. Building your walls out of a solid, homogeneous material leaves no space for these critical building systems, and even if they did, they would be impossible to maintain once the walls are closed up.

Additive manufacturing has its place in the AEC industry, but anyone claiming 3D printers will essentially replace traditional construction is selling you a lie.

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