Walmart made a real splash last year when it announced the construction of one of the largest freestanding, 3D-printed commercial concrete structures in Tennessee, the United States. The multinational retail corporation continues to expand its 3D printing efforts with a second 3D printed expansion, this time in Huntsville, Alabama.
Scheduled to open this Friday (May 9) at Walmart Supercenter #5197, the new 5,000-square-foot (464m2) building will serve as a dedicated location for online grocery pick-up and delivery.
For both building, the company has relied on the expertise of the construction company Alquist 3D, which brought on FMGI, Inc., a general contractor specializing in commercial real estate.
“In a commercial construction world that pays so much attention to project timelines and costs, our work with Walmart shows that 3D printing isn’t just a novelty — it’s an innovation ready to scale for retail and other industries,” states Patrick Callahan, CEO of Alquist 3D. “This second project clearly demonstrates how retail expansions can be faster, more cost-effective, and less wasteful, paving the way for broader adoption for large-scale commercial builds.”
Key facts of the construction process
Using two 3D construction printing systems, a five-person crew from Alquist and FMGI Huntsville built the (12m) 16-foot walls in just seven operational days — a task that would traditionally require a larger crew and more than 21 days using conventional CMU methods.
Sika USA provided specialized concrete mixes engineered to withstand different environmental conditions while maintaining both speed and durability throughout the printing process. Meanwhile, Alquist’s robotics partner, RIC Technology, supplied advanced robotic systems aimed at delivering high-precision printing with lower labor demands.
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