In an unprecedented move toward sustainable construction, Qatar has ditched traditional methods and launched the world’s largest 3D printed construction project – building two schools in Doha using advanced 3D printing technology.
The project aims to reduce construction material consumption, waste and carbon emissions. Additionally, use of 3D technology will also result in reduced energy consumption and reliance on manual labour compared to traditional methods.
Work on this project started last month (June) and will transform 40,000 square meters of desert land and will be a model for future-ready sustainable educational infrastructure. The project is scheduled for completion by late 2025.
This project which aligns with Qatar National Vision 2030, is 40 times bigger than any previous 3D-printed building. Each of these 3D-printed schools is designed as a two-story structure that will cover a total area of 40,000 square meters. The schools will feature curved, dune-like walls demonstrating new levels of geometric creativity by 3D printing while staying cost-efficient. Interior spaces are also expected to create learning environments that feel carved from the landscape rather than imposed upon it.
Do you think New Zealand should adopt 3D printing construction? Let us know by commenting here below or emailing us at: editor@newsviews.co.nz
This project is led by UCC Holding – a local international construction company, in partnership with Ashghal, and was signed in Sept 2024. For 3D technology, the project is powered by the Copenhagen-headquartered firm, COBOD International – the world’s largest supplier of 3D printers for construction.
For this project, COBOD supplied two massive, custom-built BODXL industrial printers with a capability to build structures up to five stories tall. Each machine measures approximately 50 metres long, 27 meters wide and 15 meters high – about the size of a Boeing 737 hangar.
Before launch, there was intensive preparation for a period of eight months and the UCC’s design and technical team carried out extensive tests. They completed more than 100 full-scale component prints using a BODXL printer at a trial site in Doha.The team also designed a custom concrete mix to cure in high heat of the desert and a special extrusion nozzle for smooth, precise printing.
Apart from being cost-effective, digital precision is expected to reduce material consumption up to 60% compared to traditional building methods. The 3D process makes it a more sustainable option by reducing reliance on manual labor, accelerating project timelines through continuous operation, reducing carbon emissions and energy use. The reduced construction timeline also results in lower energy consumption throughout the building process.
By automating the building process, the 3D printing, also offers speed and ensures consistency and quality in construction.
In fact, UCC is already helping Ukraine rebuild their educational infrastructure (including schools) using 3D printers, and many other nations have also initiated adopting this technolgy in their construction sector.
Latest (& world’s biggest) Qatar’s 3D project for constructing schools could be a blueprint for how nations worldwide can now rethink how sustainable infrastructure can be created using the latest technologies.
