Workers with Alquist 3D start the process of building a 3D-printed home in Muscatine this spring. That home will now have to be rebuilt. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
MUSCATINE, Iowa – The first-in-the-state 3D-printed home that is under construction in this community just hit a major stumbling block. The home’s walls will have to be rebuilt because of a problem with the concrete mixture being used to build the walls. The home under construction on Duncan Drive in the Arbor Commons subdivision in […]
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MUSCATINE, Iowa – The first-in-the-state 3D-printed home that is under construction in this community just hit a major stumbling block. The home’s walls will have to be rebuilt because of a problem with the concrete mixture being used to build the walls.The home under construction on Duncan Drive in the Arbor Commons subdivision in Muscatine is being built using a 3D construction robotic arm. That arm uses a concrete formula to build the concrete walls of the home. The rest of the home was to be built much like any other stick home.
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The exterior walls of the 3D-printed home in Muscatine, Iowa, were completed on July 24. CREDIT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER MUSCATINE
Zachary Mannheimer, founder and CEO of Iowa City-based Alquist 3D, attends a ceremony in Muscatine, Iowa, in May marking the start of that city’s first 3D-printed home. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
Workers from Alquist 3D explain the functions of the 3D printer machine that is building part of a new home in Muscatine, Iowa, during an event Friday, May 19. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
An Alquist employee looks over machinery used to make a 3D-printed home in Muscatine, Iowa, in May. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON
The exterior walls of the 3D-printed home in Muscatine, Iowa, were completed on Monday, July 24. CREDIT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF GREATER MUSCATINE
People attend the spring ceremony for the 3D home.
The problem is the concrete mixture used by the 3D robotic arm has “underperformed,” according to a new release from the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, one of the project’s community partners.“The concrete formula selected met necessary specifications in lab testing, but during continuous quality checks it was determined there were variations in the field. This could have been remedied in several different ways, but partners on the project decisively chose the most uncompromising path. The subcontractor, Alquist 3D, will replace the structure using a grade of materials that is refined to consistently perform within field standards,” according to that news release.The Community Foundation news release added: “Although disappointing, it was collectively agreed that this will ensure that the standards of excellence expected from the beginning of the project are met.”The cost of the rebuild will be absorbed by the subcontractor and not reflected in the future listing price of the home. Work on the home started this spring.“Alquist 3D is confident that their knowledge gained will further improve performance of processes and materials going forward. The structural engineer will evaluate specifications on the new material, and field testing will continue throughout the project,” the Community Foundation news release added.Ron Monahan, housing initiatives manager with the Community Foundation of Greater Muscatine, told the QCBJ on Monday that he’s disappointed in the development. However, improvements will be made, needed houses will be built in the community, and work has already started on a second house using the 3D printer technology.“It’s an opportunity for us to get better. … I’ve been told that when you’re on the cutting edge, you get some cuts,” he added.Mr. Monahan said construction work has started on a new 3D-printed home at 1506 Redwood Drive, which is in the same subdivision as the first home. A new concrete mixture will be used to build the walls on this home.Also, the Community Foundation remains committed to helping build 10 homes in Muscatine County using 3D technology. Those planned homes include three in the Arbor Commons subdivision, six located in infill lots in Muscatine in partnership with Muscatine Center for Social Action and Muscatine County Habitat for Humanity, and at least one in West Liberty. “The uncompromising decision to rebuild means that future builds will be pushed to next year for completion,” according to the Community Foundation news release.Mr. Monahan added that “our plan is to remove the walls from the first home as the walls from the second home are being completed, which should be in the next few weeks.”Also, the walls on the second home should be done in the next few weeks. “We plan to have it fully built out over the winter,” he said.Community Foundation officials added that they are grateful to work with general contractor, Hagerty Earthworks; architect, Horizon Architecture; structural engineer, Axiom Consultants; and material tester, IMEG.They also stated they are committed to using the new 3D printer technology to build homes in the community.According to Alquist 3D information, here are some of the advantages and features of a 3D home:
The base of a 3D printed home is constructed in 12 days or less. Alquist 3D has done it as fast as 28 hours. The finishes (plumbing, electrical, etc.) will take another six to 10 weeks.
A 3D home can reduce labor costs by up to 80%.
An Alquist 3D home in Virginia is estimated to have saved 15% per square foot in building costs.
3D homes are printed with a concrete mix called “crete.” This mix makes homes very durable and less vulnerable to the elements compared to stick-built homes.
3D homes are based on a design plan that is uploaded from a digital file. The 3D printer creates a blueprint of the design from computer-aided design software and follows the design as it prints.
