As part of the AM.NUS Construction 3D Printing Program, the National University of Singapore aims at accelerating the use of 3D printing in the construction industry. New materials and 3D printing designs will develop in order to foster mass production of building structures.
This construction 3D program consists in a collaboration between the NUS and companies of the industry. Students and industry partners will receive a special training in construction 3D Printing. On the other hand, they will have the possibility to develop their network and learn more through conferences and workshops.
In the construction 3D printing lab of the university, a large concrete 3D printer is used to test new designs and materials.
The 3D printed toilet project
As far as sanitation is concerned, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Cluster (NAMIC) which also supports the University’s program collaborated with Hamilton Labs, a company specialized in construction to build new toilets in India.
If you know a little bit that environment or if you have ever listened to reports on this environment, therefore, you have certainly come across the lack of sanitation in the country.
Thanks to 3D printing, researchers built a new toilet with a unique design in 5 hours rather than a day using traditional methods. The construction company used its 3D printer HamilBot Mark 1.
Each toilet integrates 12 smaller modules that were moved from the construction site to the place of destination where they were assembled.
A 3D printed bathroom?
Another project consists in the construction of 3D printed volumetric formwork for bathroom. Formworks for concrete in general include steel and timber in their composition and require a day to build a bathroom. However, by replacing those two materials with polymer, it would be possible to build more than 10-bathroom units per day.
Further researches and certifications need to be made in order to assert the validity of this test.
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