Janice R. Andrews
A robotics business in Georgetown, Texas, has successfully 3D printed almost 100 homes in a ground-breaking accomplishment in the home construction industry. After over two years of work, this creative project is almost finished, with over 25% of the residences now sold. One of the first of its type, Wolf Ranch is a 3D-printed town that marks a major breakthrough in building technology.
The enormous Vulcan 3D printer, which is 45 feet wide and weighs more than 4.75 tons, is being used to build the homes at Wolf Ranch. The collaborative partnership between house construction business Lennar and 3D printing construction developer ICON produced this ambitious project. After starting the project in November 2022, workers are almost done with their target of constructing 100 dwellings by the end of the summer.
The walls of the dwellings are created by the Vulcan printer using a combination of water, sand, and concrete powder. The entire home is formed by the layering of these materials into a structure like a tube. The single-story residences have three or four bedrooms, and the printing process takes around three weeks. The foundation and metal roofing are erected by human teams using conventional methods, while the walls are manufactured using the 3D printer.
Even in the most severe weather, the dwellings are made to be sturdy and sustainable despite their unusual architecture. The walls are an energy-efficient and water-resistant option for homes, like enormous lengths of corduroy. The architectural company BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group contributed the modern ranch-style home designs, which give this creative community a fresh look.
The construction procedure has improved in efficiency during the project’s duration. Conner Jenkins, senior project manager at ICON, disclosed that there is now only one building team, working with a single robot printer, instead of the previous five.
The houses do not, however, come without difficulties. Residents may need to utilize mesh internet routers rather than a single router because of WiFi signal interference caused by the thickness of the 3D-printed walls.
Beyond Earth, interest in ICON’s technology has grown. According to reports, NASA wants to use the Vulcan printer to construct lunar buildings for the Artemis lunar exploration mission. The program is scheduled to deploy its first crew in September 2025. This ambitious use of 3D printing technology may usher in a new age in building on Earth as well as beyond.
