New childcare centre is the first 3D concrete printed commercial building in the Southern Hemisphere

STUFF ARTICLE | March 2023 | Miriam Bell

When Hamilton builders Johnny Gordon and Nick Lane visited a 3D concrete printing factory they were mesmerized, and decided to adopt the technology for their latest project.

Their company, Iconic Construction, was working on a childcare centre, and the plans were designed, consented, and ready to go.

But a chance meeting with Wafaey Swelim, from Qorox, and a visit to his factory, led them to switch their plans from timber texture precast panels to 3D concrete printed ones.

Qorox was the first construction business in Australasia to successfully implement concrete 3D printing building solutions that were building code compliant.

Gordon said the printer they saw at work in the factory produced 35 square metres of finished walls in just over four hours with the help of two people.

“We knew there and then that we needed to be a part of it, particularly as technology and automation are beginning to play a much larger role in the construction industry.”

The centre’s design was changed to incorporate the technology, and the centre will soon be the first commercial building made with 3D concrete printing technology in the Southern Hemisphere.

Gordon said the 3D concrete product was as cost-effective to produce as timber texture precast, but it saved on costs in foundation preparation, installation and most importantly, time.

“A big advantage is the speed at which the panels can be put up. Once the panels were delivered it took us 22 minutes to unload one from the truck, put it in place, and then go back to get the next one.”

The panels were installed just before Christmas, and the centre’s walls were “now ready for little hands to run over them”, with the project due for completion at the end of March, he said.

“It is innovative technology, which can print to any design, or shape, and can even do curves. This allows us to create the sort of unique spaces we like to build.

“And it is more environmentally friendly as it cuts down on waste, whereas traditional construction methods generate a tonne of waste.”

His company was now working with Qorox as a regional partner, and its next commercial and residential builds were being designed using 3D concrete printing, Gordon said.

But the Hamilton centre was not the first 3D concrete printed building in New Zealand. Earlier this month, the world's first solar passive house with 3D printed walls was completed in Huia in Auckland.

Qorox director Wafaey Swelim said the walls of the house were key to its passive solar design as they transmitted heat well.

They also exceeded seismic standards, and were built to withstand a range of environmental factors.

“Concrete walls are completely waterproof so if a flood event occurs the walls won’t need to be torn down and replaced like their timber counterparts.”

The walls, which featured curves, ridges and textures custom-designed for the owner, were printed in 20 hours and then installed on-site over three trips.

It was a short time frame when compared to traditional building methods, and demonstrated one of the benefits of the technology, Swelim said.

“Shorter build times reduce the overall cost, but the material involved uses 40% less emissions than normal cement which is better for the environment.

“Concrete is also more climate resilient, has a low maintenance cost for owners, and uses approximately 15.5% less energy to heat.”

His company’s 3D printed concrete was BRANZ appraised as a replacement for masonry or concrete walls, and was tested and designed over a two-year period to meet all New Zealand conditions.

Steve Bell, the owner of the Huia house, said he was happy with the finished walls, which were “as unique as you can get”, although the project had been a learning process for all involved.

He had followed the development of 3D concrete printing for houses overseas, and as soon as he discovered a New Zealand company using the technology, he incorporated it into the build of his house.

While risk averse building inspectors meant it took about six weeks to get the consent, the printing process was fast, with something about three metres high and 1.5 metre long taking 90 minutes, he said.

“Overall, the printing, getting the walls to site, installing and then waiting for weeks to get a concrete truck to come to site to fill the walls with concrete took about three months.”

He would recommend the technology to others as it was a very efficient process for building the walls, particularly if they included curves.

Qorox was currently working on a new wall design, which would reduce the amount of concrete used by around 85%, and would reduce costs, Swelim said.

The plan was to make the technology widely accessible to the construction industry for residential housing, commercial construction and infrastructure projects, he said.

“By harnessing the power of automation, we can help resolve the bottlenecks, shortage of labour and low productivity that currently constrains the industry.”