BENGALURU: Come May 6, Karnataka will have in place its first 3D concrete-printed public building. The Ulsoor Bazaar Post office in Cambridge Layout will be India’s first such postal structure.
Work commenced here on March 22 and it is all set to meet its 45-day deadline. With the project mid-way, a media interaction was organised by L & T Construction, which is building the Rs 23 lakh structure.
Briefing newspersons, Whole time Director and Senior Executive Vice President of Larsen & Toubro Construction (Buildings), M V Satish, said, “By this Friday (April 14) the printing process will be completed here. The advantages it offers over conventionally built buildings is the huge savings in terms of time. Construction of this Post Office built on 1100 square feet would have taken anywhere between 6 months and 8 months. We will be completing it in just 45 days here. We require only five people to complete the job.”
Asked about the cost factor, he said the cost works out the same as of now. “When we do it on a large scale in future, it could come down,” he said.
Stressing that the 3D concrete structure was very strong, Satish said the technology has been approved by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC)while the structural design of the post office has been validated by IIT Madras.
An official release said, “The 3D printing of the post office building is cast in Situ’ at the job site in an ‘open to sky’ environment, using a fully automated 3D printer.
The release said that 3D concrete printing has the potential to transform construction practices by quickening the construction process and enhancing overall build quality. Using a robotic printer, 3D printing technology deposits concrete layer-by-layer in accordance with the 3D model drawing input. The process requires a delicate balance of concrete properties, including flowability, quick hardening for load-bearing capacity, green concrete status for inter-layer bonding, and sufficient strength to ensure successful printing.