American 3D printing company Apis Cor has produced what it says is the largest building ever printed. The 640 sq m, two-storey office building was built for the government of Dubai using a single printer.
The New York-based company built the structure on site using a printer that was manoeuvred around the site by crane. The "ink" used was a gypsum-based mixture it developed in-house.
The project was intended to see how the company’s technology and equipment performed in the emirate’s hot climate over a substantial period of time.
Nikita Cheniuntai, Apis Cor’s founder, commented: "The project gave us unique knowledge and invaluable experience that will help us improve our technology and develop a new version of our 3D printer.
The printer was moved around the site by crane (Apis Cor)
"The improved version will be more reliable and time efficient (twice as fast). Moreover, during the project we tested and improved our own-developed 3D mixture. This project is a huge step forward in the concrete 3D printing industry."
The printer did not carry out all the work on the building, as the roof, windows and insulation were fitted using conventional methods.
The next projects are scheduled for California and Louisiana as part of affordable housing initiatives.
A video of the construction process can be seen here.
Image: The printer and the product (Apis Cor)
