Germany‘s first publicly funded apartment building from the 3D printer: Heidelberg Materials supplies 3D printed concrete
In Lünen, North Rhine-Westphalia/Germany’s first publicly subsidized apartment building is being built using 3D printing. The three-story building owned by Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Lünen will have a total of six residential units. The building material used is 3D printed concrete from Heidelberg Materials.
The 3D-printed concrete used by Heidelberg Materials is a high-tech product that is 100% percent recyclable as a mineral building material. In addition, this 3D-printed concrete contains a binder with around 55% CO₂ reduction compared to a pure Portland cement. Due to its pumpability and extrusion properties, the building material is suitable for 3D printing. At the same time, the strength development of the material is adjusted to produce a very uniform printed image. This creates components with high dimensional stability. Targeted design planning also results in high potential for efficient material use.
Dr. Jörg Dietrich, Head of Engineering & Innovation and Head of Product Management at Heidelberg Materials Germany, says: “3D-printed concrete from Heidelberg Materials enables the construction of sustainable and affordable housing within a very short time. We are proud to be part of this pioneering project, especially in times of housing crisis.”
The first floor and the second floor will be built using the 3D concrete printing method. The top floor will be built using a wood hybrid construction method. The facade structure on the first floor and second floor retains the original printed concrete structure. The pure printing time is less than 100 hours. For Heidelberg Materials, this is the third building to be constructed using the 3D printing process this year. As with the project in Nordkirchen, the 3D printing is being implemented by PERI 3D Construction and the planning by Steinhoff Architekten.
Jan Hische, Board Member and Managing Director of Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Lünen: “For us as a housing cooperative, the focus is particularly on affordable housing. To achieve this, we need new ways! That is why it is particularly important to us to combine the innovative idea of 3D concrete printing with the housing subsidy of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. We are proud to be able to accompany the further development of this new construction method together with our project partners.”
The North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of the Interior, Municipal Affairs, Building and Digitalization is supporting the construction project of Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Lünen with € 400000 from the state’s own “Innovation in the Construction Industry” funding program. On the other hand, the ministry is providing around € 1.3 million from the public housing promotion program. In accordance with the housing promotion regulations, the price per square meter for rent will be a maximum of € 6.00 per m2 The total cost of the construction project is around € 1.9 million. The building is scheduled to be ready for occupancy in October 2024.
