MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine is continuing its Rural Housing Project to build cutting-edge housing construction methods to compare the completion time, cost, and energy efficiency, according to a recent news release.
Construction work on 10 new homes in the Muscatine area is expected to begin this fall.
With rising housing development costs and constrained construction schedules from seasonal pressures, the foundation said traditional construction methods have often proved costly, slow, and inefficient to build and maintain in rural communities. Thus, the Muscatine foundation plans to focus on additive on-site manufacturing for new housing.
For example, using affordable readily available materials, technology, and manufacturing techniques to build at the job site. By doing so, it will eliminate some transportation logistics and labor concerns.
The foundation now is researching other technologies after its first attempt for a 3D-printed home failed. Hoping to meet the growing housing demand in Muscatine, the foundation built the first 3D-printed home in Iowa in the fall of 2023.
But the house was removed when it was discovered that the material selected by the subcontractor, Alquist 3D, underperformed in the field. Community Foundation said it has since discontinued its relationship with the subcontractor. But it hopes to use 3D home printing in the future.
Ron Monahan, CFGC’s housing initiatives manager, recently told the QCBJ that the organization will not be using 3D-printer technology this year to build homes. It might, however, after more research is done with the new technology.
Foundation wins grant
Meanwhile, the community foundation received a grant from an anonymous funder outside of Muscatine County to purchase a 3D home printer and continue deploying 3D home-printing technology.
The local project lead and general contractor, the foundation said they will continue to gain expertise. They have had field visits with successful 3D home printing projects in Arizona. And they are continuing to work closely with partners Muscatine Community College (MCC) and Iowa State University.
MCC will assist in the fabrication and software development of the new printer involving students in the design and construction in partnership with a local contractor. It also will leverage research from ISU and visit Yavapai College in Arizona. That’s where a working model has been fabricated.
Initial building methods will incorporate four concrete-based technologies: 3D printing, insulated cast-poured concrete forms (ICF), cast-in-place, and cement-board composite. Advantages of these methods are: anticipated cost decreases, speed-to-market increases, extended lives, and extreme weather resistance, which can reduce utility costs, maintenance and waste, the foundation said.
The anticipated cost of a 3D-printed home will be reduced by up to 75% if it is fabricated locally rather than purchased from an out-of-town developer. This also reduces the financial barrier for rural entrepreneurs and start-ups, which would typically prevent entry into this construction type, according to the foundation.
The community foundation will focus on other concrete-based homebuilding models that are replicable and reduce building costs. It also plans to support local entrepreneurs for the housing project’s construction, supply, and material needs.
Using these alternative technologies on the homes’ exterior envelopes, crews will begin construction of four mid-market homes in Muscatine’s Arbor Commons neighborhood and six homes in the Mulberry revitalization area.
Construction on the Mulberry revitalization area is targeted to begin this fall and be completed in the spring of 2025.
