3D-printed construction takes off in Montana
BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana is now the first state to approve 3D-printed construction as an equal replacement for walls made with concrete masonry units.
It works the same way as plastic 3D printing, but instead the machine prints a concrete like material.
“It's basically like a machine that comes to the construction site and then extrudes the material, the concrete-like material, layer by layer, creating the desired shape for building directly on site,” Apis Cor co-founder and CEO Anna Cheniuntai said.
The 3D-printed walls and material were tested by multiple labs and the University of Connecticut's Civil and Environmental Engineering School.
“The technologies to 3D print the walls are reinforced, and our walls are structurally the same as concrete block walls,” Cheniuntai said.
Cheniuntai says it will also cost 30% less than traditionally built concrete blocks or wood-framed houses.
“Anything that is going to bring down housing costs that have the potential to increase inventory is certainly exciting for the industry,” RE/MAX Realty Group broker Joanna Harper said.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows between 2010 and 2020, Montana's population grew by 9.6%, but housing units only increased 6.6%.
“Home builders, they want to build more because demand is there, obviously, but they can't, because they really have to rely heavily on the labor, which is limited today,” Cheniuntai said. “We see that a lot of people really like to live in the construction industry. However, now with the robots, we can fill this gap, providing more houses much quicker.”
