US Army to Build Largest 3D-Printed Structures in the Americas
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https://www.theregister.com/2022/04/09/army_3d_barracks/
The US Department of Defense is going to use 3D printing techniques to build military accommodation as part of an experimental development program.
Scheduled to be built at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, over the next 10 months, the three 3D-printed concrete barracks will each be more than 5,700 square feet (529.55 square meters) each, making them the largest 3D-printed structures yet built on the continent.
That title was previously held by the Texas Military Department, which had additive manufacturing company ICON build 3,800 square foot (353 square meters), 72-bunk barracks in 2021. The military was able to order these facilities after changing its Unified Facilities Criteria, used to decide what can be purchased, to include structures made of 3D-printed building materials.
[...] According to the company, the compressive strength of its high-strength concrete is between 2,000 and 3,500 PSI.
While it may not match the strength of the toughest modern concrete, Lavacrete is plenty strong enough to serve as the walls of a barracks, and the DoD has plans to continue experimenting with 3D printed buildings at the Defense Innovation Unit, its experimental wing.
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