Construction firm Apis Cor has completed the world’s biggest 3D-printed building in Dubai.
Apis Cor was hired by Dubai Municipality to build the two-storey, 9.5m-tall administrative building, which was 3D printed on site.
The structure was built up layer by layer and covers an area of 640 sq m. Apis Cor said it wanted to test how its 3D printing system performed under “harsh climatic conditions”.
The printer, controlled by a large robotic arm, was lifted around the site by crane and the 3D printing material used was a gypsum-based mixer.
While the walls were 3D printed, the foundations were laid using conventional construction and the 3D-printed formwork for columns was manually filled with rebar and heavy concrete. The roof, windows and insulation were also conventional and installed by a general contractor.
Apis Cor now plans to use the technology to build projects in California and Louisiana in the US as part of affordable housing projects.
Image: Apis Cor
