Designing a Habitat for 3D Concrete Printing in Permafrost-Regions (2023-07)¶

3D concrete printing has the potential to provide a solution to the global shortage of affordable housing. This technology may be particularly suitable for remote regions, where the shortage of labour and materials presents acute challenges. While most projects have focused on the use of the technology to fabricate a structure’s walls, this article describes a research effort aimed at printing the entire enclosure using only 3D concrete printing. The design of a habitat for the permafrost regions of Alaska is used as a case study. The design approach was to conceive a parametric housing system based on modular units whose form is inspired by traditional vault design and is amenable to 3D concrete printing. The proposed design is governed by structural and architectural features, the addressable volume of the robotic arm printer, the desire to avoid formwork, environmental factors such as thermal requirements, foundation type in response to the permafrost, and loads on the structure. While the size of each modular unit is determined by spatial requirements, its exact shape is defined using optimization following structural, thermal, and printing considerations. The printing of a reduced-scale version of the proposed unit validated the design, showing its printability.