3-D printing for construction is gaining in popularity in China, in particular, where builders have also constructed a six-story apartment building using the technology. While advances in 3-D printing stateside offer architects and developers an interesting, vertically integrated design and production tool, the technology has yet to achieve wide-spread adoption in construction projects, instead focusing mostly on parts and components.
Cost is a primary reason for the small-scale focus, and questions of job site supply logistics and general assembly labor will likely need to be addressed for 3-D printing to be seriously considered in any kind of production builder or commercial construction capacity. How close do 3-D printers need to be to the job site in order to be useful? Who will operate them, and how might they impact project management decisions? Those questions are only beginning to be explored.
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