3D printing for remote housing: Benefits and challenges

Additive manufacturing and in particular, concrete 3D printing has been suggested as one of the interesting solutions to unlock remote development, enhance the strength and capability of the local and national manufacturing and construction industries, and offer fast recovery in post-disaster scenarios. In this study, the remote housing construction challenges with a particular focus on Australian Northern Territory (NT) are reviewed and the feasibility and efficiency of using concrete 3D printing to tackle those challenges have been discussed. Besides the advantages of 3DP for remote housing, it's limitations and concerns have also been presented. Finally, some completed 3D-printed construction projects in remote locations were introduced. According to the findings of this review, to establish whether 3D printing is practicable and desirable in remote locations, trade-offs between several aspects, including materials, structural design, process efficiency, logistics, labour, and environmental impact, must be taken into consideration. In the case of using local materials that meet the printability, buildability and robustness requirements, 3DP could be considered a cost-effective solution for remote housing. However, researchers, designers, and decision-makers should consider the options, such as remote on-site fabrication, available local materials and their quality, and the large-scale manufacturing process and concrete 3DP limitations when evaluating the feasibility of using 3DP in comparison to conventional construction methods.

Automated summary

Additive manufacturing, especially concrete 3D printing, is considered an interesting solution for remote development, enhancing local and national manufacturing and construction industries, and facilitating fast recovery after disasters. This study reviews the challenges of remote housing construction, focusing on Australia's Northern Territory (NT), and discusses the feasibility and efficiency of using concrete 3D printing to overcome these challenges. The advantages, limitations, and concerns of 3D printing for remote housing are presented, along with examples of completed 3D-printed construction projects in remote locations. Trade-offs between various aspects need to be considered to determine the practicality and desirability of 3D printing in remote areas, including materials, structural design, process efficiency, logistics, labor, and environmental impact. If local materials meet the requirements for printability, buildability, and robustness, 3D printing could be a cost-effective solution for remote housing. However, factors such as remote on-site fabrication, available local materials and their quality, and the limitations of large-scale manufacturing process and concrete 3D printing should be evaluated when comparing with conventional construction methods.