A 3D-Printed Home Under Construction in Fort Worth May Be First of Many
Numerous homes are under construction in Fort Worth, but the one at 100 W. Bolt St., across from La Gran Plaza, stands out.
This property is reportedly the first residence approved by the International Code Council Evaluation Service to feature load-bearing 3D-printed walls.
According to Fort Worth Report, the International Code Council Evaluation Service is an engineering organization that performs technical assessments of building products, materials and systems for code compliance. In October 2022, it issued a report on Black Buffalo 3D for its NEXCON 3D printer and Planitop 3D ink, making it the first internationally coded solution for 3D printing in construction.
The three-bedroom home of about 1,500 square feet was designed in partnership with Houston-based Boxer Property to showcase the ease of the immediate construction process, as well as future maintenance and upkeep, said Peter Cooperman, chief marketing officer for Black Buffalo 3D.
A lot of work went into getting the 3D printer’s “ink,” or concrete mixture right, Cooperman said.
“We developed our own material, a cement-base material that was the first in the world to meet standards to be able to print load bearing walls,” he said.