SAHIF Leads the Charge for Earthquake-Proof 3D Printed Housing in South Africa

Earthquakes are one of the scarier natural phenomena in the world. Though most are mild, those that are particular shallow or strong can cause unbelievable devastation such as the one that hit Turkey and Syria earlier this year which, according to estimates, caused in Turkey alone 50,783 deaths, 297 missing and 107,204 injured. Yet another recent earthquake, this time in Johannesburg, South Africa has had an interesting result. Since its occurrence only on June 11th, the South African Housing & Infrastructure Fund (SAHIF) has announced that it plans to implement concrete 3D printed housing in the country which has an additional benefit of being earthquake-proof.

For some time, South Africa has been facing a housing crisis due to rising construction costs, slow release of housing and other factors has led to about 12 million people in dire need of housing in the country. Construction 3D printing has often been used in other countries to more quickly and cheaply create housing for those in need, for example Habitat for Humanity who has already two houses made using additive manufacturing under its belt. This is another example of that with the added benefit of having the housing be earthquake-proof to protect from future such natural disasters as it would allow for resistant, sustainable and quality housing.

Construction 3D printing at the University of South Africa (photo credits: CyBe)

The Rise of Earthquake-Proof 3D Printed Housing

The venture is thanks to a partnership between SAHIF and Netherlands-based construction technology company CyBe construction. Indeed, CyBe is known for its earthquake-proof 3D printing housing solutions as well as those that are hurricane-proof. CyBe claims that the key to their earthquake-proof 3D printed housing is thanks to the flexibility of concrete 3D printing which allow for the construction of more customized structures, including those that are ideal for earthquakes. Additionally, they point to their own CyBe Mortar, an earthquake resistant concrete that is specifically formulated for 3D printing. Specifically, it combines high-strength aggregates and fibers in order to withstand seismic forces thanks to its durability and flexibility.

SAHIF CEO Rali Mampeule concludes “The demand for affordable quality housing in South Africa far outstrips the supply. We can better address this challenge by reducing the cost of materials and [labor], speeding up the construction process, and improving the quality of the finished houses. Not only are 3D houses more affordable and time efficient to build, but we know they are durable enough to withstand the kinds of seismic forces that surprised us all this week.” You can find out more about this earthquake-proof 3D printed housing on CyBe’s website HERE.

A partially completed concrete 3D printed house in South Africa (photo credits: CyBe)

What do you think of this earthquake-proof 3D printed housing? Would you want to live in one? Let us know in a comment below or on our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter pages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weekly Newsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on our YouTube channel.

*Cover Photo: Damage from one of the biggest South African earthquakes (photo credits: Fagan Architects)