The National University of Science and Technology (NUST)’s Structure and Survey Department in Islamabad has recently developed Pakistan’s first eco-friendly 3D concrete printer.

The team of researchers which included Raja Dilawar Riaz, a student at NUST, created the printer on a small scale initially before developing it on a larger scale. Riaz explained that this printer could decrease construction costs by 40 to 50 percent, and the technology’s highlight is that there’s no need to hire laborers.

The printer can work continously, providing a timely response. In Pakistan, where 10 million people don’t have a house of their own, this technology could revolutionize the housing sector, building affordable and eco-friendly homes for less money.

So, how does this printer work? According to Riaz, the 3D concrete printer moves in three accesses and can be controlled with the help of a laptop and its associated controller.

You can add cement and other materials and control them with a digital controller system to print construction materials in different forms. Riaz also highlighted that you can make pots for plants, bricks, and pillars used in construction with this printer.

The 3D concrete printer was exhibited for the first time at the International Housing Expo, under the theme of ‘Low-Cost Modern Housing Technology’, where it received much praise. Several companies awarded prize funds for the project.

The total cost of making this printer was Rs. 800,000, and it took about a year to prepare it. Since exhibiting the printer, Riaz said that major construction companies in Pakistan have contacted him, expressing a desire to create similar machines. This groundbreaking technology could change the face of affordable and eco-friendly housing in Pakistan and beyond.

Source: Pro Pakistani