Close Menu
AM ChronicleAM Chronicle
  • Content
    • News
    • Insights
    • Case Studies
    • AM Infocast
  • Focus Regions
    • India
    • Asia Pacific
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • Europe
  • Industries
    • Automotive
    • Aerospace
    • Defence
    • Energy
    • Construction
    • Healthcare
    • Tooling
    • Engineering
  • Training
  • Magazine
    • Digital Issues
    • Print Subscription
  • Events
Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
  • About us
  • Media Kit
  • Contact us
Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn
AM ChronicleAM Chronicle
  • Content
    1. News
    2. Insights
    3. Case Studies
    4. AM Infocast
    5. View All
    Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications, Credits: Velo3d

    Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications

    June 5, 2025
    Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen

    Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen Can be A Promising Diagnostic Tool for Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease

    June 3, 2025
    Caption:Researchers have developed a resin that turns into two different kinds of solids, depending on the type of light that shines on it: Ultraviolet light cures the resin into a highly resilient solid, while visible light turns the same resin into a solid that is easily dissolvable in certain solvents. Credits:Credit: Courtesy of the researchers; MIT News

    New 3D printing method by MIT enables complex designs and creates less waste

    June 3, 2025
    NAMI Partners with Ministry to Launch Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre

    NAMI Partners with Ministry to Launch Saudi Arabia’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre

    May 30, 2025
    Revopoint Trackit Now on Kickstarter: Marker-free 3D Scans Within Everyone's Reach!

    Revopoint Trackit Now on Kickstarter: Marker-free 3D Scans Within Everyone’s Reach!

    May 28, 2025
    Credits: Outokumpu

    Outokumpu launches stainless steel metal powder in additive manufacturing for aerospace and aviation industry applications

    May 22, 2025
    Why Bioprinting Innovations can elevate healthcare and industrial AM

    Why Bioprinting Innovations can elevate healthcare and industrial AM

    May 21, 2025
    Why Additive Manufacturing Excels in Some Applications but Fails in Others?

    Why Additive Manufacturing Excels in Some Applications but Fails in Others?

    May 21, 2025
    Formlabs fuse 1+

    How Imaginarium Helped Kaash Studio Scale with the Right 3D Printing Technology

    April 12, 2025
    The Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W

    Kaash Studio Optimized Service Bureau Operations with Formlabs 3D Printers- Case Study

    January 30, 2025
    Namthaja Unveils Worlds First 3D Printed Marine Gangway

    Worlds First 3D Printed Marine Gangway unveiled by Namthaja

    August 8, 2024
    RusselSmith Material Performance Improvement Whitepaper

    RusselSmith Whitepaper : Improving Material Performance with Microstructural Refinement

    May 9, 2024
    Sustainable Production of Metal Powder for Additive Manufacturing

    Sustainable Production of Metal Powder for Additive Manufacturing with Bruce Bradshaw

    February 15, 2024
    Meeting Evolving Customer Demands in the Additive Manufacturing Industry with Tyler Reid

    Meeting Evolving Customer Demands in the Additive Manufacturing Industry with Tyler Reid

    February 9, 2024
    Innovation is at the heart of AMUG with Diana Kalisz

    Innovation is at the heart of AMUG with Diana Kalisz

    March 7, 2023
    3D Printing Workshops at AMUG with Edward Graham

    3D Printing Workshops at AMUG with Edward Graham

    March 7, 2023
    Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications, Credits: Velo3d

    Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications

    June 5, 2025
    New 3D Printing Technology Enables Dual-Material Creation from Single Resin

    New 3D Printing Technology Enables Dual-Material Creation from Single Resin

    June 5, 2025
    Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen

    Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen Can be A Promising Diagnostic Tool for Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease

    June 3, 2025
    Caption:Researchers have developed a resin that turns into two different kinds of solids, depending on the type of light that shines on it: Ultraviolet light cures the resin into a highly resilient solid, while visible light turns the same resin into a solid that is easily dissolvable in certain solvents. Credits:Credit: Courtesy of the researchers; MIT News

    New 3D printing method by MIT enables complex designs and creates less waste

    June 3, 2025
  • Focus Regions
    • India
    • Asia Pacific
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • Europe
  • Industries
    • Automotive
    • Aerospace
    • Defence
    • Energy
    • Construction
    • Healthcare
    • Tooling
    • Engineering
  • Training
  • Magazine
    • Digital Issues
    • Print Subscription
  • Events
Subscribe
AM ChronicleAM Chronicle
Home » News

3D printing can help the construction industry become carbon-neutral. Here’s how

News By AM Chronicle EditorJune 23, 20225 Mins Read
responsive big webp 8oY5F9DBu0vn7eATnC3ztURg4WtSzLLGuvMjJpCCx A
Traditional construction is responsible for generating 27% of global CO2. Alternative methods such as 3D printing hold promise. Image: Mighty Buildings
LinkedIn Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Pinterest Email Copy Link

Building our houses is hurting our home. Traditional construction is responsible for generating 27% of global CO2. Alternative methods such as 3D printing hold promise, but there is work to do before construction is truly environmentally-friendly.

Highlights 

  • The construction industry is responsible for generating 27% of global CO2 emissions. How can we make it more sustainable?
  • 3D printing offers a potential solution, but can only become truly sustainable if materials and processes are also ecologically sound.
  • Progress will require collaboration between regulators and industry leaders, who should actively engage to ensure numerous standards are updated regarding the use of alternative construction materials.

3D printing is an industry that is already sustainable right now. The process produces a fraction of the waste of traditional construction manufacturing, because builders simply print exactly and only what they need. It only requires a small factory with minimal space for storage materials, and unlike a traditional production line, 3D printing does not require energy to move the same parts from one step to the next.

However, some builders using green processes still rely on traditional materials, such as cement. Cement alone is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions, virtually eliminating any positive impact on the environment that 3D printing can deliver.

The benefits of alternative construction methods like 3D printing are clear

Sustainable materials are already available today. For example, polymer composite is as strong and durable as concrete – the synthetic stone developed by Mighty Buildings weighs 30% less than concrete and has five times the tensile and flexural strength. These innovative materials can be stored in compact liquid or semi-liquid form in barrels, which helps keep factory footprint small. The environmental benefits continue once a building is printed, as polymer composite is a superior insulator to traditional materials, minimizing the emissions of the house during its lifetime, as it’s lived in and used.

Despite the benefits of alternative construction methods using sustainable materials, their widespread use still requires support from regulators, customers, and the builders themselves.

With rising housing costs regularly making headlines, pricing is a barrier to widespread customer demand for greener construction alternatives. While it’s true that new generation housing currently costs more than traditional construction, as scale increases and 3D printed construction continues to become more efficient, the prices will lower, achieving an economy of scale. Furthermore, buyers willing to make a sustainable investment in their home purchase will receive long term costs benefits, as green homes have higher asset value, lower long-term utility costs and are more resilient during extreme weather and natural disasters.

Promoting sustainable materials and processes

With customers increasingly embracing sustainable construction, builders should and likely will make 3D printed homes more widely available. This is challenging though – many market participants representing various categories would need to be actively involved in changing the industry. For existing construction companies with deeply entrenched business models, transitioning to a greener model could take decades, but frankly, they don’t have that much time. Cement production is the third biggest generator of CO2 emissions, more than any individual country except for China and the US. Mining for cement is incredibly destructive to the environment, and obtaining the sand necessary for concrete and cement production is also harmful and increasingly difficult, as demand is outpacing supply.

Decarbonising the process is extremely challenging, because the chemical processes used to produce cement concrete release CO2. Rather than retrofitting a centuries old technology to be sustainable, it is time to embrace sustainable alternatives and explore other breakthrough material. Traditional construction companies should lead the industry and leverage their market power to promote sustainable materials and processes for everyone’s benefit.

Regulations are the other key barrier to the advancement of sustainable construction alternatives. As often happens with innovation, the technology is moving faster than the laws can keep up, and there are many layers in the highly regulated construction industry, including local building codes, permitting, inspection authorities, and contract provisions. Progress will require collaboration between regulators and industry leaders, who should actively engage to ensure numerous standards are updated regarding the use of alternative construction materials made using 3D printing or other means. Tech talent at startups may be more willing to disrupt the conservative industry model and could prove to be a driving force of sustainable development.

Embracing green construction alternatives

The new generation of sustainable home builders have the tools they need to make the construction industry greener, however, to accelerate the shift to environmentally friendly housing they need to partner with regulators and developers. Ultimately, achieving carbon-neutral construction will come down to customer demand and big builders’ willingness to embrace greener alternatives and pave the way for widespread implementation.

Subscribe to AM Chronicle Newsletter to stay connected:  https://bit.ly/3fBZ1mP 

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3IjhrFq 

Visit for more interesting content on additive manufacturing: https://amchronicle.com/

For more information and case studies on metal additive manufacturing register for metal additive manufacturing symposium : https://amchronicle.com/metal-additive-manufacturing/

Original Source

3D construction printing 3d printing additive manufacturing sustainability sustainable development
AM Chronicle Editor

LATEST FROM AM
Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications, Credits: Velo3d News

Velo3D enters CRADA with NAVAIR to Advance Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace and Defense Applications

June 5, 20252 Mins Read
New 3D Printing Technology Enables Dual-Material Creation from Single Resin Uncategorized

New 3D Printing Technology Enables Dual-Material Creation from Single Resin

June 5, 20251 Min Read
Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen News

Novel Magnetic 3D-Printed Pen Can be A Promising Diagnostic Tool for Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease

June 3, 20253 Mins Read

CONNECT WITH US

  • 126 A, Dhuruwadi, A. V. Nagvekar Marg, Prabhadevi, Mumbai 400025
  • [email protected]
  • +91 022 24306319
Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn

Newsletter

Subscribe to the AM Chronicle mailer to receive latest tech updates and insights from global industry experts.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Quick Links

  • News
  • Insights
  • Case Studies
  • AM Training
  • AM Infocast
  • AM Magazine
  • Events

Media

  • Advertise with us
  • Sponsored Articles
  • Media Kit

Events

  • AM Conclave 2025
    24-25 September 2025 | ADNEC, Abu Dhabi
  • AMTECH 2025
    3-4 December 2025 | KTPO, Whitefield, Bengaluru
CNT Expositions & Services LLP
© 2025 CNT Expositions & Services LLP.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.



0 / 75