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3D Printing Accelerates Social Housing Construction in Ireland by 35%

Published on February 3, 2025 by Julia S.
New social housing Ireland

Some of construction 3D printing’s greatest benefits include that the technology can often build structures faster and cheaper than traditional building methods. That said, it is logical to adopt the technology for social housing. In Grange Close, Ireland, the company HTl.tech built properties for a social housing project using the COBOD BOD2 3D construction printer. Not only did this project vastly reduce construction time, but it was also carried out in full compliance with the international standard ISO/ASTM 52939:2023, meaning they are perfectly habitable. On February 6th, the scheme will be launched, and the three families allocated the houses will be present along with the Louth County Council.

This is the first project in Europe for social housing that meets the new I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023 additive manufacturing standard. Social housing properties are intended for the middle class, so people who exceed the economic requirements for obtaining public housing, but do not have enough economic power to access a mortgage. Therefore, it was necessary to quickly create housing solutions that did not require a large financial outlay. For this reason, the company HTl.tech developed this project.

An aerial view of the new social housing project in Grange Close, Ireland

The Social Housing Project

This new building project resulted in the construction of townhouses, covering a total area of 330 m². The buildings were divided into three units, each comprising three apartments of 110 m² each. A load-bearing wall system was designed for these houses, designed to meet Eurocode 6 standards and created through 3D printing. Each wall consists of two 10-cm thick walls, having a 150-mm cavity, extruded in load-bearing concrete. This eliminated the need to serve steel supports or columns. For the structure, 90 m³ of concrete conforming to EN206 C30/37 was used, providing adequate compressive strength to ensure durability and strength.

The entire project was completed in only 132 working days. In less than five months, it went from initial site preparation to handing over the keys. Typically, building this type of house using traditional methods takes at least 203 days. According to COBOD, employing 3DCP technology resulted in an overall 35 percent reduction in construction time. The company reported:

“Approximately 50% of the time savings came directly from 3D printing the wall system. The remaining savings were achieved through the precision of 3D construction printing, which enables seamless integration of other building components – such as partition walls, floor systems, and trusses – to already be considered during the planning and preparation phases, resulting in a more efficient construction process.”

The National Standards Authority of Ireland recognized the project for advancing quality and sustainability in 3D construction printing. Importantly, the I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023 protocols are adaptable to other EU countries, thus facilitating a potential spread of this working methodology among member states.

The COBOD BOD2 Printer

The COBOD BOD2 3D printer is designed to print concrete structures directly on-site, with the ability to extrude concrete at a speed of 1,000 mm/s. The COBOD BOD2 was chosen for this project because it has a large build volume, allowing for buildings up to 14.6 meters wide and 8.1 meters high. The printer weighs up to 5390 kilograms and requires adequate infrastructure. It takes four to six hours to set the printer up, and three hours to disassemble. So, the BOD2 printer is an innovative and highly efficient solution for sustainable and modular construction.

The COBOD 3D printer in action

The advantages of 3D printing are not limited to its precision in creating unique geometries, but also its ability to incorporate other building components within the design and preparation stages. So, parts such as partition walls, flooring systems and trusses, for example, can be incorporated in the early design stages and thus make production more efficient. The success of the project in Ireland confirms the great potential of 3D printing in construction, making it possible to reduce construction time and improve the practicality of structures through direct on-site production. The numerous projects already completed demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology, which will likely continue to spread.

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*All Photo Credits: HTL.tech

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