Development o f 3 D Printing a s a n Efficient Home Construction Alternative

Abstract

Technological advances will always experience very fast changes, especially in 3D printing technology, which is currently widely used in various industrial realms. The presence of 3D printing machines really helps humans in visualizing an idea and the results of their thoughts into a very profitable replica. However, construction industry has not fully utilized 3D printing technology, and only a few countries have made it. The advantages of building a house with 3D printing technology include saving labor and time in house construction, as well as minimize the construction. The use of this 3D printing machine will be very useful in Indonesia because the number of populations is very large, and the need for housing will be directly proportional to population growth. The research aim is to build a 3D printer for housing construction at the size of 1m x 1m x 1m, and at this moment the research has successfully built the prototype machine and developed a software controller which is able to control motors using keyboard and mouse through web interface. As a continuation of this housing 3D printing project, the research is currently focusing on development of suitable concrete mixture formula consisting of Portland cement, micro-silica, rice husk ash, aggregate, superplasticizer, fly ash, and water.