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3D printing technology is already being applied in the construction industry, making possible to build a 230-square-metre house in only 20 hours. 

A team of researchers led by University of Southern California professor Behrokh Khoshnevis is developing a robot printer called Contour Crafting which is so versatile, it can be used to build a 230 square metre residence, along with homes in low-income area and areas destroyed by natural disasters.

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The device can tile floors, install plumbing and electrical wiring and apply paint or wallpaper

According to Khoshnevis, 3D printed construction systems offer several benefits when compared to traditional building methods. He said they are faster, safer, more sustainable and more economical. He also pointed out that construction is far behind manufacturing when it comes to automation.

“If you look around yourself, pretty much everything is made automatically today, your shoes, your clothes, home appliances, your car,” he said. “The only things that are still built by hand are these buildings.”

In addition, 3D printed construction offers unprecedented flexibility in architecture. While traditional manufacturing always uses the same parts/materials with standardized sizes and characteristics, 3D printing makes it possible to create a different model/house each time just by programming it to do so. The device can also tile floors, install plumbing and electrical wiring and apply paint or wallpaper.

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NASA supports using the technology to build lunar habitats, laboratories and roads on the moon or Mars.

“They do not have to look like tract houses because all you have to do is change a computer program. The walls do not have to be linear. They can use any kind of curve. Therefore, you can really execute very exotic beautiful architectural features without incurring extra cost,” Khoshnevis said.

There is one disadvantage to using this new technology in the construction industry: the loss of jobs. Khoshnevis argues, however, that it will actually create new jobs that will be safer and that will allow women and older workers to participate more in the construction industry....Continue Reading

> via soruceable.net