Did you know an Indian startup 3D-printed a house in 21 days?
On April 27, 2021, Tvasta, a startup founded by alumni from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, completed the construction of India's first 3D-printed house, in only 21 days. Modules for this 500 sq. ft. house were printed in the startup's facility in Chennai and assembled at the site, as per the company's official website.
How was this done?
The house was built using 3D-printed modules, using a process that involves layer-by-layer deposition of materials to create three-dimensional structures. Such processes typically utilise large-scale 3D printers capable of handling construction materials such as concrete, polymers, or other suitable building materials. According to Tvasta, 3D printing for construction leads to an 80% reduction in waste, and can significantly reduce labour requirements and time of construction.
The construction of this unique structure cost Rs 5 to 5.5 lakh, which, is about 20% of the cost of a standard 2BHK apartment in India, as per a 2022 report by the Indian news portal The Better India. The report adds that the technology used by Tvasta creates only 1/3rd of the waste generated using conventional building methods.
Tvasta: vision and goals
According to Tvasta's website, the startup was founded with the vision of "leveraging 3D printing technology to revolutionise home construction". In an interview with The Better India, Adithya VS, co-founder and CEO of the startup, noted that by using a 3D printer capable of receiving instructions on building large-scale structures in the form of a 3D virtual file, "a large-scale structure can be built without formwork or moulds in a very short period through layer-by-layer manufacturing".
In a similar interview, Vidyashankar C, COO of Tvasta, said that the startup enables "mass customisation of end components" and that by using their 3D printing technology, any construction project can be done in minimum time with minimum impact on the environment. As per their website, the startup plans to "develop category-creating platform technologies that aim to disrupt the construction industry by automating 80% of construction".
Other projects
Tvasta has also built other 3D-printed structures, including a 3D-printed bus shelter for Godrej & Boyce in Mumbai, which was printed and assembled in a week.
As per Tvasta, 30% of the construction materials for the bus shelter project contained Recycled Concrete Aggregates (RCA), which were obtained from concrete waste debris and are integrated with independent solar panels.
They have also built 'Anant Siras' a 21-foot statue commemorating 75 years of India Cement, which was printed, assembled, and finished in a month.