Global climate change is associated with inhospitable aridness and torrential hurricanes alike. As the planet’s surface warms, the atmosphere sequesters more moisture and creates drought conditions. Then, when storms do hit, the rainfall and its impacts can be monstrous.
Humans need durable shelters at any time, but this need is growing as climate change forces the migration of an ever-larger number of people from storm-prone regions. Can 3D printers help people build the resilient communities they need?
How Does 3D Printing Improve a Building’s Storm Preparedness?
Hurricane Harvey was a devastating occurrence, but 2022’s Hurricane Ian showed people the importance of recognizing the worsening extremes of intense weather and the growing need for affordable, storm-resistant housing. Homeowners typically view hurricane-resistant doors and windows as a sensible investment in the future of their structure, but it’s less common to pay the same mind to hidden structural components.
One of the first steps taken down this road was by JD Composites, a Canadian company taking recycled composite materials mainstream. The organization says its materials can stand firm against category 5 hurricanes, yet it’s made from reclaimed soda bottles. Such winds can reach 157 miles per hour or more.
The chance to print components and structures using long-lasting, recyclable materials made from reclaimed ingredients is a major focus in 3D printing today. With the sheer strength of composite materials confirmed by JD Composites and similar pioneers, attention is shifting to leveraging such materials in 3D printing.
Icon is one business exploring this concept. To date, Icon has used its large-scale 3D printer Vulcan to print dozens of homes in the United States and Mexico. The printer can turn out a finished structure with a 3,000-square-foot floor plan.
Concrete has long been the go-to material in hurricane-prone regions like Puerto Rico and the east coast of the United States. The Vulcan printer makes use of a filament that bears a resemblance to concrete. The material – called Lavacrete – doesn’t use recycled plastics, but it does use plentiful ingredients – namely crushed rock, cement and water. The company claims its structures exceed storm-related building codes by at least 350%.
What makes 3D printing such a natural fit for building storm-resistant homes?
1. Achieving Rounded Features
Rounded shapes prove more resilient against intense winds in hurricane conditions. Sharper corners and edges capture the force of the wind, whereas buildings with round edges redirect and shrug off a good deal of the kinetic energy.
3D printers make it easier to realize rounded shapes than conventional building materials with straight edges. Moreover, fabricating curved features using additive manufacturing results in a stronger structure than attempting the same form using traditional techniques.
2. Improving Temperature Management
Icon touts Lavacrete’s strength and insulating capabilities. The material reduces a building’s temperature fluctuations during extreme weather events. This improves comfort, reduces energy draw on the electric grid and helps ensure resident safety during bouts with intense weather.
3. Designing Novel Retrofits
The opportunities 3D printers represent are largely thanks to the digital nature of the design process. Having computers and generative design powered by machine learning play roles in the design phase of retrofits and new construction can unlock potential.
Many organizations are repurposing the ground floors of buildings to respond to more frequent flood conditions. 3D printers and generative design could help architects discover how to redesign such spaces in the face of climate-related challenges.
4. Improving Resistance
Conventional “stick-built” homes most frequently use wood in their frames and floors. Wood is far from resilient against flooding and the ensuing mildew and mold that sets in. Homes and buildings need something better in the age of intensifying storm conditions.
3D printers use composite materials that provide vastly improved resistance against water damage, mold and mildew. Any builder involved in storm-heavy regions should explore the potential of 3D printers and composite filament materials.
5. Realizing Modular and Flexible Designs
3D printing is a natural match for modular home designs. Modular construction involves the fabrication of sections or modules of a home in controlled conditions, like a warehouse. These modules are then transported to the build site and assembled into the final structure.
Coupling modular home designs with additive manufacturing yields floor plans that are easier to repair after sustaining damage or relocate if the site is no longer suitable for habitation. Site-built homes fashioned from conventional materials can’t match this level of storm preparedness and flexibility.
3D Printed Homes Are Here to Stay
Engineers and architects have long been hunting for a “line of best fit” between affordability, eco-friendliness and storm preparedness. The businesses mentioned above believe they’ve found that ideal compromise in 3D printers. Additive manufacturing could be the very process to improve the resistance of homes and commercial buildings to severe weather.