Buildings to dot Dubai skyline
Mohammed unveils strategy to exploit 3D technology
dubai — By 2030, 25 per cent of all buildings in Dubai will be 3D printed, according to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
3D-printed construction is just one of the sectors that will be transformed by the Dubai 3D Printing Strategy, alongside medical and consumer products.
“The UAE is presenting to the world today the first integrated and comprehensive strategy to exploit the 3D technology to serve humanity. We have also framed practical plans and precise goals to turn the strategy into reality — the reality that will contribute to the progress and prosperity of the world and help preserve our human heritage,” Shaikh Mohammed said. “The future will depend on 3D printing technologies in all aspects of our life.”
dubai — Additive manufacturing or 3D printing is essentially laying down layer upon layer of material until an object is created.
Currently, the 3D printing process begins with a design in a computerised 3D modelling programme, or through a 3D scanner that can make a digital copy of an item.
Once the design is complete, the 3D printer begins laying down materials, which can range from plastics and metals to sandstone and porcelain.
3D printing is already being used to create a wide variety of items, ranging from sophisticated lightweight aircraft components to titanium jaws and pelvises, pieces of art, or complex and intricate architectural models that otherwise would be made by hand.
Additionally, 3D printed buildings are already a reality.
According to experts, the use of 3D printing technology has the potential to reduce the construction time of buildings by 50 to 70 per cent, reduce labour costs by 50 to 80 per cent, and can cut down on the amount of construction waste by 30 to 60 per cent, which means increased sustainability and economic return on the initial investment.
In July 2015, Dubai officials announced that the emirate will be home to the world’s first fully 3D-printed office building. The structural components, interior furniture and all the detailing will be constructed layer by layer using a massive 20-foot tall 3D printer.
The finished parts will then be assembled in Dubai over the course of several weeks.
In other parts of the world, 3D buildings have already been built for residential purposes. In China, design engineering company WinSun successfully printed 10 full-sized single story houses in 2014, each costing less than $5,000.
Additionally, the company has successfully built a three-story, 11,840 square-foot mansion for a total cost of $161,000, as well as a five-story apartment block.