We know that construction 3D printing is useful for reducing labor costs and achieving unique geometries, but what about for construction in remote areas? The company Cementos Argos just finished printing South America’s first additively-manufactured social housing in La Unión, in Colombia’s western Antioquia department. The team used COBOD’s Bod2 printer on behalf of non-profit Fundación Berta Martínez. The group had to transport the printer and materials in mountainous terrain and heavy rains. So, what are these homes like, and how was the project pulled off?
Cementos Argos constructed two single-story houses, each with a 63-sq-m floorpan. The houses have two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, laundry area, and porch. Their walls are 2.2m-high, supporting a timber roof. Remarkably, these homes were printed in just 16 hours over the course of three days, directly on site. According to COBOD, the process is 30% faster than traditional building techniques, with 15–30% less waste and 20% lower material costs.
COBOD’s Bod2 3D printer in operation in Columbia
A Special Mortar Mixture
Adding to the project’s overall sustainability, Cementos Argos used a custom mortar mixture which contained 99% locally-sourced raw materials. The walls’ compressive strength exceeds 35 MPa (5,076 psi), and to comply with the local seismic resistance standards, the structural design had to be approved by a Municipal Planning Office.
In an interview with Global Construction Review, Daniel Duque, R&D director of Cementos Argos explained: “The dry mix contains fibres and chemical additives that provide resistance to plastic shrinkage stresses, preventing cracking caused by wind, humidity and temperature fluctuations in the region.”
This material was tested over the course of several months to ensure that the mechanical properties and adhesion between layers was sufficient. Plus, they had to evaluate the curing process and the structural behaviour of the printed walls. These walls are also doubled, meaning that they have an intermediate air chamber which generates thermal insulation.
Future 3D Printed Social Housing Projects
The two houses built by Cementos Argos are only the beginning. Duque explained that they are designing a project for 20 clustered social housing units, “which will allow us to scale the technology and optimise the structural and architectural design, as well as the printing process, to make this technology economically viable.”
The completed 3D printed house from Cementos Argos
However, for that project, they plan on printing the walls offsite, which would reduce printer installation costs. For the two-house project, they used five small trucks to transport the printer. What sets this first project apart was its adaptability: “The design of this project is notable for its flexible interior layout and the potential for future lateral expansion of the house,” Duque said.
The Fundación Berta Martínez, which funded the project, has a mission of making a holistic impact on rural areas, strategically leveraging social investment and catalytic capital. It’s gratifying to see how 3D printing can play a role in such endeavors! To learn more about the construction project, click HERE.
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*All Photo Credits: Cementos Argos