Pakistan’s first 3D Concrete Printer set to revolutionise construction industry, offer affordable housing

Islamabad: A team of Pakistani students is on a mission to revolutionise the construction industry and address the urgent need for affordable and cost-effective housing solutions by developing the country’s first 3D concrete printer.

These visionary young engineers are the students of the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in Islamabad.

Raja Dilawar Riaz, Ammar Ali, Usama Majid, and Muhammad Faizan, all 23-year-old students graduating in 2023 from NUST’s Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering programme, aim to transform the way structures are built in Pakistan while offering faster and more efficient housing solutions.

They owe their achievement and successful project completion to the guidance and expertise of their advisor Dr. Mohammad Usman and co-advisor Dr. Jawad Aslam.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Raja Dilawar Riaz, who is the team leader, said that the primary motivation behind developing the concrete 3D printer was driven by the pressing need for housing in Pakistan. With a population of nearly 240 million, the country is “grappling with a severe housing crisis exacerbated by urbanization and natural disasters like earthquakes and floods”. Riaz said that “As engineers and researchers, we consider it our ethical duty to find a solution to this crisis.”

Benefits of integrating 3D printing in construction

Integrating 3D printing technology into the construction industry offers numerous potential applications and benefits. Usama Majid, another team member, explained that it can “significantly reduce labor requirements and construction time through automation.”

The printer prototype demonstrates savings of nearly 50% in labor costs compared to traditional construction methods.

It also allows flexibility in design and customization. The 3D printing “enables architects to create complex and intricate customized designs, enhancing the aesthetic appeal of structures and urban landscapes,” while minimizing material wastage and reducing environmental impact. “By streamlining the construction process, 3D printing can significantly lower the overall costs of building homes, making them more affordable and accessible to a larger population” Majid claimed.

Affordable housing options

In Pakistan, 3D printing offers a viable solution to address the challenge of affordable housing. The team behind the project believes this technology “can help bridge the gap between the increasing demand for housing and the limited availability of affordable options.”

This is particularly beneficial in regions facing housing shortages or recovering from natural disasters. With a projected housing deficit of 20 million units by 2025, 3D printing presents a promising solution to the critical challenge of affordable housing in Pakistan.

“Our design concept saves construction and development costs” which has attracted interest from ministries and different organisations for funding larger-scale printers. The team is optimistic about securing sufficient funds in the near future to innovate the construction industry in Pakistan.

How does the 3D concrete printer work?

The operation of the printer involved the process of pouring rows of concrete, similar to squeezing toothpaste, to construct three-dimensional objects. Explaining the technology behind the 3D concrete printer, Ammar Ali, another team member, said the machine functions by “layering concrete material in a controlled manner, gradually constructing the desired structure based on a digital model of the object”.

This layer-by-layer deposition and hardening process continues until the entire object is printed. Afterward, the structure may undergo additional curing or post-processing to enhance its strength and durability. “This innovative technology holds immense potential for transforming the construction industry by enabling faster, more efficient, and customizable production of concrete structures,” Ali said.

Sustainability factor

The 3D concrete printer developed in Pakistan offers sustainability advantages, addressing the global climate crisis by reducing formwork usage, minimizing concrete wastage, and lowering environmental impact. Moreover, “the printer’s ability to utilize locally available materials and its cost-saving potential make sustainable construction more accessible, affordable”. The team is continuing research and development to increase efficiency through modern printing strategies and more sustainable mix formulations. Their focus is to achieve lightweight, sustainable, and cost-effective outcomes in the future.

3D concrete printer vs traditional construction

Comparing the 3D concrete printer to traditional construction methods regarding cost and quality, Mohammad Faizan, the fourth member of the team, said: “Developing Pakistan’s first 3D concrete printer locally has resulted in substantial cost savings compared to imported alternatives” He added that their technology “optimises material usage, reduces waste, and minimises labour requirements.”

It also eliminates the need for expensive formwork and molds typically required in traditional construction methods, making it more cost-effective while maintaining superior quality and design flexibility. Importing a 3D printer incurs additional expenses like shipping, customs duties, and import taxes, which can escalate the total cost. Producing the printer locally with readily available materials eliminates these extra and overall construction costs and provides an affordable option to the construction industry in Pakistan.

The global 3D concrete printing market is projected to reach a value of US$40 billion by 2028 from US$310 million in 2021, according to Vantage Market Research. The construction sector remains the largest end-user of this technology, with applications in residential, commercial, industrial, and other sectors. Implementing 3D concrete printing can lead to significant cost savings, with potential reductions of up to 50% in labor costs and up to 30% in material waste, according to the research.

Overcoming challenges and achieving validation

During the development process, the students encountered several challenges. The first hurdle was the initial resistance. “There was a lack of understanding regarding the purpose of our project, not only from friends, family, and workers involved in fabrication but also from technically knowledgeable individuals who regarded the project as impractical,” Riaz shared.

Another challenge was the dearth of comprehensive design information as the research on this technology is often regarded as an individual’s intellectual property, resulting in limited access to crucial data. This made constructing a complete printer based on limited data and relying on hit-and-trial, as well as the judgment of engineers, a demanding task.

Yet, their unwavering determination and valuable assistance from co-advisors helped them to navigate this complex path. Limited funding posed another major challenge.

“We started with very little funding and had to restrict ourselves to the locally available materials, which turned out to be advantageous in the long run,” the 23-year-old team leader said. Despite these obstacles, “The team’s constant struggle, patience, and belief helped overcome almost all the challenges”.

Although the printer is currently in the prototype stage, the team has successfully validated the design concept through extensive testing and experimentation. They have even obtained a patent for their innovative extruder design. In 3D printing, an extruder is a component responsible for processing the filament material to create the printed object.

The prototype is a scaled-down version of the envisioned full-scale printer for commercial usage. “The prototype serves as proof of concept and demonstrates significant cost savings of nearly 50% compared to imported alternatives.” With this success, the team is poised to upscale the printer to a more cost-effective commercial version.

Strength

The students have successfully printed concrete elements that have been tested for strength, showcasing the viability of 3D concrete printing and its potential to revolutionize construction speed and cost. The concrete exhibited sufficient strength, with a measured value of 34 MPa (megapascals), which meets the concrete compressive strength requirements ranging from 17 MPa for residential structures to 28 MPa or higher for commercial buildings. The strength and testing “validate that the printer can sustain sufficient load with increased construction speed and decreased construction cost”, says Faizan. Regarding regulatory considerations, they mentioned that there are no specific requirements for using 3D printing technology commercially in construction in Pakistan.

Future prospects: Transforming the construction industry

Looking ahead, the team leaders and advisors have expressed their plans for further development, which include securing funding for larger-scale printers and collaborating with various institutions.

Dr. Mohammad Usman, the adviser and professor who is the Head of the Structures and Survey Department at the NUST Institute of Civil Engineering (NICE), revealed that the team recently “secured seed funding from the Federal Ministry of Housing, Development, and Special Initiatives under the Pakistan Innovation Fund (PIF) programme”. They are also exploring the application of this technology in flood rehabilitation efforts with the Ministry of Natural Disaster Management Punjab.

The response to their project has been overwhelmingly positive with the printer gaining widespread acclaim and generating viral coverage on mainstream and social media platforms. The team says they look forward to collaborating with industry partners, the government and other institutions.

Reflecting on the future of 3D printing in the construction industry in Pakistan, Dr. Jawad Aslam, the co-advisor, who is the Associate Professor at NUST School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (SMME), said that “the printer holds tremendous potential for transformative change.” He emphasized that the ability to create complex structures with speed, precision, and cost-effectiveness could drive economic growth, promote sustainable practices, and unlock new possibilities for infrastructure development across the country. “With locally developed 3D printers like ours, the construction industry in Pakistan can benefit from reduced costs, enhanced sustainability, and improved efficiency,” said Dr Aslam.

With their pioneering efforts, the four Pakistani students hope to transform the construction landscape, offering hope for affordable housing and sustainable development in Pakistan by combining innovation, affordability and efficiency.