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bne July 2024 Companies & Markets I 27
Central Asia’s first 3D-printed house built in Almaty
Kanat Shaku in Almaty
Central Asia's first 3D-printed house has been constructed in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The city is earthquake-prone, thus the construction design company, BM Partners 3D Print, used extra strong concrete and other seismic precautions to build a property that can withstand tremors of up to seven on the Richter scale. The chosen concrete is normally used for highly loaded structures like skyscrapers and bridges, according to a press release from COBOD, a supplier of 3D printers to the construction sector.
The entire 100-square-metre (1,076-square-feet) building, was constructed in less than two months, with the walls printed in just five days.
To cope with the extreme temperature variations of Kazakhstan, the building also contains expanded polystyrene concrete for insulation.
Marat Oshakhtiev, CEO of BM Partners, said: “Embracing modern technologies is essential in today's world. Our company is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements with 3D construction printing within our country. With this project, our company has confidently stepped into the future, addressing Kazakhstan’s urgent need for earthquake resistant modernized, efficient and resilient housing solutions.”
The total cost of the home is around $21,800, making it significantly cheaper than an average local new house.
Henrik Lund-Nielsen, founder and general manager of COBOD International, commented: “This project once again demonstrates that 3D printed buildings are built to last, also when made in earthquake high-risk areas. We are proud to have developed the solution that enabled BM Partners to complete this project fully within just two months and using extra strong 3D printable concrete made from locally sourced materials.”
“The total cost of the home is around $21,800, making it significantly cheaper than an average local
new house”
The special concrete mix used in the construction has
a compression strength of nearly 60 megapascals (MPa), or 8,500 pounds per square inch (PSI).
Following the 3D printing of the walls, human workers added doors, windows and furniture.
The walls were extruded in five days flat. / COBOD
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