Disaster-proof and 3D-printed

Zhuoda Group, a Chinese developer and real estate company, has assembled a fire-proof and earthquake-resistant 3D-printed home in less than three hours.

They manufactured 90 per cent of the building in an off-site factory before shipping it in modular pieces to the installation site at Xian, a city in central China. A crowd of people watched on as the ‘villa’ was assembled in about three hours.The building actually took 10 days to produce from initial construction to final assembly.

However, according to An Yongliang, R&D engineer at Zhuoda, this is extraordinary when compared to the six months it typically takes to build a traditional villa. The home is fire-proof and can withstand a magnitude-nine earthquake because the modules, each weighing over 100 kilograms per square metre, bear weight independently. The building can also apparently withstand wear for about 150 years.

Zhuoda Group have filed over 20 patents on their technology and are keeping their top-secret building material under wraps. It is reported that Tan Buyong, the company’s vice president, has revealed that the new material is made from industrial and agricultural waste. It is said to be free from harmful substances such as formaldehyde and ammonia.