3D printing is being explored for new projects worldwide for its benefits in efficiency. Yet, because it's such a new technology, there are certain limitations.
Dubai is challenging those limitations not only with requirements on housing construction, but also by going above and beyond current height capabilities with a new process called "crane printing." This project may shape how the rest of the world thinks about 3D printing.
3D printing has had to overcome plenty of obstacles, including materials, mobility, weather, and height. Slowly, but surely, technology companies are beginning to overcome these challenges. A 400 square foot house was recently printed in concrete on-site, in less than 24 hours and in freezing temperatures. Other companies are working on perfecting 3D printed steel for pedestrian bridges. Height limitations seem to be the hardest problem to solve, however.
That is until Cazza Construction Technologies, a Dubai based firm, announced its plans to build the world’s first 3d printed skyscraper. While no details or timeline for the project have been announced yet, Cazza told Construction Week Online that the building would use a technology they’ve developed called “crane printing.”
“Crane printing” simply involves retrofitting an existing crane with a 3d printing apparatus. These devices will be installed on cranes that can reach as high as 262 feet (80m). “We are adding new features to make it adaptable to high wind speeds along with the use of our layer smoothing system that creates completely flat surfaces. You won’t know its 3D printed,” Cazza COO Fernando De Los Rios told Construction Week Online.
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