Study Shows Sustainable Results of 3D-printed Villa

Brief 

Construction of a 3D-printed concrete villa last year in Sharjah, UAE, produced the equivalent of 608.55 kilograms of carbon dioxide, as opposed to 1,154.2 kg with traditional methods, according to researchers at American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah. Additively manufacturing the villa resulted in 183.95 cubic meters of water consumption, compared with 233.35 cubic meters with conventional techniques, researchers found.

Insight

A 3D-printed villa made in Sharjah is not only environmentally friendly but also substantially reduces construction costs, a new study shows.The “green” house grabbed global attention at the end of last year when it became the Middle East’s first fully functioning 3D-printed villa.

Engineers in Sharjah 3D-printed a house with the help of a Dh1 million robot in December 2020.Made of sustainable eco-friendly cement, it was built in almost two weeks.Now, a study in the journal Sustainability has shown that the way it was constructed not only saved time but also offered environmental benefits.

American University of Sharjah and University of Sharjah scientists found that constructing the 3D-printed house created little more than half the carbon emissions from building a conventional one.There were advantages in many other environmental parameters, including the amount of particulate matter formed during construction and how much water was used.

Particulate matter of different sizes is mainly responsible for pollution on construction sites.“The key reason [for the improved performance] is the overall efficiency, such as eliminating or reducing material wastage during the construction phase,” said Dr Kazi Fattah, an associate professor at AUS and a co-author of the new study.

The study found that building the villa using 3D printing produced the equivalent of 608.55 kilograms of carbon dioxide, compared with 1,154.2kg with conventional methods.Water consumption using 3D printing was 183.95 cubic metres, compared with 233.35 cubic metres with standard techniques.