Ten 3D-printed buildings open in Shanghai hi-tech zone

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Ten 3D-printed buildings open in Shanghai hi-tech zone

A 3D-printed chandelier and counter made by Makerbar Taipei, July 24. (File photo/Chi Chih-hsiang)

Ten 3D-printed constructions in the Shanghai Zhangjiang hi-tech zone’s Qingpu Park officially became operational in August. The simply designed buildings have been constructed by Shanghai WinSun Decoration Design Engineering, which has 12 years of experience in 3D printing.

Guangzhou’s Southern Metropolis Daily said 3D-printed buildings can be constructed ten times more quickly than traditional structures. Any high-cost, complex or curved structure can be built without templates and using fewer workers.

WinSun chairman Ma Yihe said the thermal insulation in 3D-printed buildings is better than regular homes as the walls are hollow and can be filled with thermal materials. Furthermore, the entire structure is seamless and therefore leak-proof, Ma added.

Ma was excited at the prospect of building houses with 3D printing technology, which he said should be one of the most popular technologies in the 21st century given its cost effectiveness and labor efficiency.

However, experts in 3D printing said security and seismic effects still need to be verified through tests as no persuasive data is available to prove the sustainability and hence safety of houses constructed in this way.

Yang Jichuan, a professor at Nanjing Normal University, said the advent the 3D-printed buildings can be seen as major progress but not yet a substantive improvement as they still cannot fully meet the country’s needs for residential housing.

Lai Zengxiang, an architecture professor at Tongji University in Shanghai, voiced concerns about the materials used in the construction. He said that the “ink” in such constructions is mainly composed of high-grade cement and glass fiber. But he pointed out that glass fiber has been banned by some countries from being used in large quantities in architecture because it can affect the respiratory system.

Moreover, high-grade cement cannot be recycled easily, which might damage the environment, Lai added.

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