Three years ago, flemish universities, social organisations and companies announced a partnership to drive the use of 3D printing in the construction sector in the Flanders region. The partners invested about €1.6 million for the new 3D-printing infrastructure, that should be installed at Kamp C, the support centre for sustainable building and living in Antwerp.
Final-year students of Thomas More University College, together with building firms, co-ordinated the project and it took them 15 days to build the two-storey house.
“The building was designed with both rounded walls and walls at right angles,” Piet Wielemans of Kamp C told VRT. Building a house like this lowers CO2 emissions by some 50% and saves an enormous amount of time.”
The partners exposed the layers of the new house to illustrate how the 3D Printer works but they are supposed to be covered in insulation and a finishing wall so that people can live in the house. The house has been built with sustainability in mind, and did require many people in terms workforce.
The construction of this house is a great milestone for Belgium which is advances slowly but surely in the construction 3D Printing sector.
Indeed, as a reminder, Belgian construction group BESIX recently launched its Concrete 3D Printing division. If the company did not yet unveil any projects regarding this part of the activities, it should be noted that it is surrounded by a range of qualified players in Belgium: Ghent University, ResourceFull (start-up that specializes in sustainability), SIKA (concrete admixtures specialist) and Witteveen+Bos (engineering company).
Belgium is therefore among the first European countries alongside France, The Netherlands and Czech Republic which are paving the way to a new model of construction in the industry.
Remember, you can post free of charge job opportunities in the AM Industry on 3D ADEPT Media or look for a job via our job board. Make sure to follow us on our social networks and subscribe to our weekly newsletter : Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram ! If you want to be featured in the next issue of our digital magazine or if you hear a story that needs to be heard, make sure to send it to contact@3dadept.com