MAKING THE CASE FOR 3D PRINTED STRUCTURES

3D Printed Structures are soon becoming the new way to construct, even as what was once thought to be a myth is today a firm reality.

- Bindu Gopal Rao

Did you know that India's first 3D printed post office in Bengaluru's Cambridge Layout was completed in just 43 days in 2023? Well, as much as that might seem unbelievable, this was built by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) using 3D concrete printing technology. Likewise in India's first 3D printed house, a 600 sq ft single-story house was built by Tvasta Manufacturing Solutions in collaboration with IIT Madras in 2021. There are others too like the TNCA Boundary Wall the longest 3D printed wall in India, built in Chennai, and the Anant Siras, a commemorative statue built to mark 75 years of India Cements, among many others. So, what is working for 3d printing and why is it becoming popular? Experts weigh in.

THE CONCEPT