German innovation prize awarded to first 3D printed house
The first residential house in Germany to be built with a 3D concrete printer won the German Innovation Award from the German Design Council. The two-story single-family house in Beckum, North Rhine-Westphalia, with approximately 160 m2 of living space, consists of multi-layered walls filled with insulation material or ready-mixed concrete.
Once the innovative property was designed by the engineers and architects of Mense-Korte ingenieure + architekten, the printing was carried out with a PERI concrete printer installed on the construction site. The printing material used was i.tech 3D printing mortar from HeidelbergCement. The project was supervised by experts from the Technical University of Munich and engineers from Schießl Gehlen Sodeikat. “With this production process, houses can be built faster, more economically and more sustainably. It also allows a very individual design of the living spaces â€, declared the jury. With this prize, the German Design Council rewards projects that advance their industry through originality, application and efficiency.
Dr Jennifer Scheydt, Head of Engineering and Innovation at HeidelbergCement Germany, said: “The printing of the residential house in Beckum is a milestone for 3D concrete printing technology. As a strong and innovative partner of this project, we have helped to adapt the traditional concrete construction material to the possibilities offered by 3D printing, namely the fields of application of all sizes and shapes. We are convinced that this new type of construction will become an established standard in the years to come.
The German Innovation Prize rewards cross-industry products and solutions that set themselves apart from previous ideas by focusing on users and creating added value. The jury for the German Innovation Prize is made up of independent and interdisciplinary experts from industry, science, institutions and the financial sector. Submissions are evaluated based on the criteria of level of innovation, user benefits and cost effectiveness. The innovation strategy must take into account aspects such as social, ecological and economic sustainability as well as the use of energy and resources. Factors such as location and employment potential, sustainability, market maturity, technical quality and function, materiality and synergy effects also play a decisive role in the assessment process.
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/europe-cis/19052021/german-innovation-award-goes-to-first-3d-printed-house/