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A house 3D printed from raw earth

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Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#21

Post by sneak »

adriancr wrote: post #9
Bender wrote: post #8

I like the idea. Have these been put through stress tests? i.e. Wind tunnels, simulated forest fire, floods, earthquake, cold / hot weather, powder actuated projectiles and how do they compare to traditional wooden framed or steel framed homes? What is the thermal insulation rating? I would expect thermals to be pretty good. I've seen similar designs using aircrete [1] and those are fire-resistant. How strong is this…

I assume it has the same longevity as things built out of mudbricks...

So, it's going to have to switch to a subscription model eventually to continue to exist?

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#22

Post by twobitshifter »

frankbreetz wrote: post #10

Cool idea, the lack of discussion of longevity seems pretty glaring. While we would all love to not cause any stress on the environment, we also have to live though heavy rains, snow, and wind. Maybe this structure is designed for dry environment and can with stand a couple of rains a year. >>The architect studied how a building’s shape could impact its efficiency, in relation to its climate and latitude. hopefully s…

Disposable housing is common in some cultures who value new construction. Having a house naturally erode is better than what happens in Japan for example:

[...] the value of the average Japanese house depreciates to zero in 22 years. (It is calculated separately from the land, which is more likely to hold its value.) Most are knocked down and rebuilt. Sales of new homes far outstrip those of used ones, which usually change hands in the expectation that they will be demolished and replaced. In America and Europe second-hand houses accounted for 90% of sales and new-builds for 10% in 2017. In Japan the proportions are the other way around. — The Economist

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#24

Post by abdullahkhalids »

sneak wrote: post #21
adriancr wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume it has the same longevity as things built out of mudbricks...

So, it's going to have to switch to a subscription model eventually to continue to exist?

In my country, some poor people (unfortunately) live in mud houses. They periodically add a new layer of mud, as the old layers get eroded away.

I imagine, this could be done by a robot for this 3D structure.

Of course, this depends on house not collapsing under heavy rain.

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#25

Post by mrfusion »

dagw wrote: post #11
varjag wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While am generally a 3d printing skeptic I feel it's not quite a fair take. The bulk of a house (and its major cost component) is the structure. So this could be useful even if it can't print you the bathroom and the fridge. How well it going to work in practice is another matter (and here's where am skeptical).

The bulk of a house (and its major cost component) is the structure Using current pre-fab techniques a half dozen builders can raise the core structure of a single family house in a few days. A friend of mine is in the process of building a house and raising the core structure was the fastest and easiest part of the whole process. I don't see this being either cheaper or faster. The bulk of the cost in many cases is…

Well lumbar is expensive too now.

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#26

Post by reversengineer »

Excellent idea as a proof of concept, and even beautiful in design. However one cannot help but wonder how structurally sound these materials are. Stress tests are needed to determine how well this would hold up over years of exposure to the elements before being produced en masse. For a sustainable alternative, homes made from repurposed shipping containers are a cost-effective solution for housing. They are made of weather-resistant Steel which, while not rust-proof, will not rot. A single unit can be kitted out and furnished for as little as $25,000, and yields 300+ square feet of space, comparable to a smaller studio apartment. Check out the YouTube Channel "Containing Luxury" which illustrates the sustainability of Container Homes and demonstrates them as a solution to several housing issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_sclvzg9dM

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#27

Post by dakna »

frankbreetz wrote: post #10

Cool idea, the lack of discussion of longevity seems pretty glaring. While we would all love to not cause any stress on the environment, we also have to live though heavy rains, snow, and wind. Maybe this structure is designed for dry environment and can with stand a couple of rains a year. >>The architect studied how a building’s shape could impact its efficiency, in relation to its climate and latitude. hopefully s…

> Dirt is a very good insulator of both heat and sound

Sound yes, heat not so much. While it can store heat due to it's thermal mass, it will release it quickly due to a low R-value, depending on moisture content the R-value could be below 1 per inch. Cellulose has around 3.5 per inch.

Without adding additional insulation to restrict thermal transfer, you need to build very thick walls. In sunny desert climates where days are hot and nights are cold, you can build your wall in a way that allows it to go through the heat exchange synced with the 24hr sun cycle, and then it's very efficient. Thinner cob walls need to be wrapped with insulation to slow down heat transfer.

Re: A house 3D printed from raw earth

#29

Post by 0df8dkdf »

00jimbo wrote: post #5
newsbinator wrote: post #2

In all of these demos, they never show you the resulting bathroom, shower, or kitchen. It's always "here's a shell we made". I'd like to see the finished house, with fixtures in place and working.

they show you the kitchen and a shot of the bathroom sink in these pictures, actually. it's just so minimalist that it's not that obvious. not quite to my taste but that's in part because they just want to show off the building itself. really, though, you can finish them like any other house; there's nothing special about the kitchen, bathroom, or walls that precludes it. aside from the striping, i imagine there's no…

What about plumbing and water resistance to humidity in the bathroom?
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