3D Printed Three-Story Building Goes Up in Saudi Arabia

Photo courtesy COBOD

The COBOD concrete 3D-printing system passed a milestone recently with completion of a three-story residential building in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The structural walls were built up layer-by-layer using the additive manufacturing method, which is seeing wider use because of its relatively fast build times and customizable designs. The 9.9-m- (32.5-ft)-tall building was printed over the course of 26 days by Saudi-based real estate developer Dar Al Arkan using a COBOD 3D construction printer. COBOD uses a gantry-mounted, robotic 3D-printing system that can build up walls based on a pre-loaded design plan. The printer uses the proprietary D.fab concrete mixture developed by Cemex and COBOD.

Jeff Rubenstone is Deputy Editor for News and Technology at the Engineering News-Record. As news director of ENR he oversees the publication's news coverage, and also covers emerging technologies and innovations in the construction space. With well over a decade of experience reporting on the industry, Jeff has a broad background in engineering and construction journalism. He is based in New York City.

Post a comment to this article

60% of workers are exposed to heights greater than 5 ft daily, and workers' compensation from injury is more than $7B - it's time for construction leaders to take measures to reduce risk and create a safer work environment. We'll explore how technology can improve construction site safety and help prevent accidents before they happen.