23b9c7bd7a6259739d8262f83035868d52786a04by Noah Alcala Bach, The Texas TribuneRows of 3D-printed homes in various stages of construction in the Wolf Ranch neighborhood of Georgetown on Oct. 4, 2023.
“There's something of a housing crisis in America, which I think is the stupidest crisis I can possibly imagine, " Lankau said. “With all of the ingenuity and resources we have, as a people, the fact that we can't figure out a better way to build walls and roofs so that everyone has a nice house seems just baffling to me.”
“We ultimately needed to find ways to build a lot more homes a lot faster. And we landed on 3D printing, using concrete-like material,” said Tom vonReichbauer, the CFO of Icon, which is building an entire subdivision near Austin using 3D printing technology. “Advanced robotic construction is the most promising path forward.”
Just like with traditional construction, the foundation is laid first. After that, rebar is put in place to support the interior and exterior walls, which are printed over the rebar. The robotic arm of the 3D printing machine lays the cement like layers of frosting — leaving a hollow space for electrical wiring and plumbing that’s later filled in with more concrete. Once a wall is complete, the robot is moved to the next wall. The finished walls have a horizontal ribbed texture.
Icon makes its own concrete alternative called Lavacrete, which vonReichbauer says uses some portland cement. He said the company is looking for ways to make it more eco-friendly.Walking through the first single-family home that Hive3D is building in Burton, which is about halfway between Austin and Houston, Lankau noted that the house was significantly cooler than the outside temperature on a blazing August day — even though the air conditioner had not yet been installed.
Concrete structures are also more likely to survive flooding without sustaining major structural damage or mold infestation, Lankau said. Traditional frame homes often require significant restoration when sheetrock, insulation and wooden framing gets inundated with water in a flood. VonReichbauer said the company has also built 3D-printed homes in Mexico with New Story, an organization focused on aiding the shelter crisis across the globe.