As a civil engineer looking to start a construction company, you must have heard about 3D concrete printing and the benefits to the construction industry, for example, in kerbing applications. That said, the benefits of 3D concrete printing are still vivid if the application of the technology in constructing tiny homes and small bridges is anything to go by. One of the benefits is reduced building costs, and although contractors are aware of this, most do not know how this happens. To benefit from reduced costs, it is vital to understand how 3D concrete printing achieves low operational cost.
1. Reduced Wastage -- A concern that civil works contractors have to deal with in any construction project is wastage. For example, the arrival and pouring of concrete mix require meticulous planning and execution. However, if the mixer trucks arrive late for whatever reason, the slurry mixture loses the required consistency and becomes unusable; consequently, it leads to costly wastage. With 3D concrete printing, however, the printer is fed with a constant supply of concrete mix as the printing goes on. It ensures that the printing process uses the exact amount of concrete required for each project. Efficient use of materials means zero wastage that allows construction firms to save money.
2. Easy-to-Achieve Complex Designs -- For a long time, achieving geometrically complex roof design was quite expensive. It is because designers had to spend hours creating intricate designs; However, with the advent of 3D printing, geometrically complex roofs have become popular and less expensive to design and construct. Notably, the same principle is applied to 3D concrete printing building projects. Rather than spend days getting a design right during the construction phase, a 3D concrete printer only needs a couple of hours to print an intricate design. Since less time is spent printing complex designs, contractors save money on labour.
3. Low Equipment Requirement -- Any civil work requires significant use of equipment, and in most instances, startup construction firms prefer to rent as opposed to buying. Whichever the case, you still spend money. With 3D printing, however, construction firms require few machines. All that is needed is a 3D concrete printer and a concrete mixer. Therefore, you spend less on rental, repairs, maintenance and operation costs which have a significant impact on the bottom-line.
For more information on concrete kerbing, contact your local concrete professionals.
