Printing the parts for buildings.

Hi all

Printing a Reprap 4 times the size of the original to print complex window parts seems like quite a good idea.
And if I could build a conservatory I can build panels to hang on the outside of a steel structure.
or if strong enough create large self supporting structures.



Building a large dome of tiny interlocking hexagons is possible now. Just print, fill the cavity with insulation or glass and gas and lock in place.

The health implications of living in all plastic structures are pretty bad though .

Does anyone have any ideas of a material to print a healthy building out of. Especially the loading parts (bricks) ?

Will Reprap version 2 be scalable? so large printers can be made.

Is anyone excited and inspired by the idea of building printed structures?






P.S. I live near Bath and it's great that somehing this exciting is going on near me

Edited 12 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2010 12:28PM by Jake Lara.

I´ve read about a Japanese who studies about building houses with big versions of kind of repraps. He plans to use very fast hydrating concrete. If its of interest for you i can look in which book i´ve read about. .

Thanks wowbagger that would be nice. The only other whole building printer I know of is from Italy and is called D-shape [www.d-shape.com]

I would think a modified cob (straw and clay) could be used too.

Not far from you, large machine

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Random Precision

Wow! that's brilliant thanks John! a multi material head could deposit insulation into the cavities too. very exciting.

.

Extrude some of this stuff for low voltage lighting.

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Random Precision

Wow again! thanks. Printing circuits with conducting materials along with plumbing pipework right into easily assembled building components is a bit of a dream.

If you design so the components could be easily disassembled, the recycled materials could be extruded into an updated design and clicked back into place.

So a house could evolve and include new ideas and technology very quickly. You'd have a kind of Borg house In fact if this technology progresses enough that kind of fast evolutionary adaption is a bit of a certainty.