Honeycomb-shaped walls and houses built by robots sound like scenery from Star Wars, but innovative building materials are making these space age ideas a reality. Engineers around the world continue to research and study alternatives to traditional construction materials and techniques. Though still in the testing phase, look for these cutting edge technologies bound to change the way we think about and build structures.

Innovative building materials with structural 3D printing

3D printers have successfully produced everything from working guns to guitars to eyeglasses, so are houses next? One of the challenges involves material: 3D printers have used plastic and metal, but residential housing calls for concrete. Not nearly as stable as plastic or metal, concrete’s structure can change with any number of variables, requiring special mixtures to be formulated specifically for 3D printing.

The Chinese firm Winsun created a giant 3D printer that squirts concrete through a nozzle. The material, a mixture of glass and cement, was layered to produce large blocks (think housing material) in their factory. The blocks were transported to the building site, where 10 small houses were constructed in one day. This technique uses less material and labor which translates into a very low cost home, estimated around $5,000.

Next up: smart digital masonry

Smart masonry is a technique designed by ZAarchitects in Russia, combining the benefits of 3D printing and robotic building with the traditional practice of stone masonry. The challenge has been to balance structural loading requirements as well as building mass. Engineers have addressed this by using “stones” with a foam core base covered in a layer of cement, designing a novelty to watch among innovative building materials.

The on-site process involves an assembly line order in which pieces are digitally cut and coated with cement by a robotic arm, then built into a structure by a roving robotic machine. The speed and accuracy surpasses that of 3D printing, and the material uses a great deal less concrete than traditional building methods. The finished construction resembles an intricate mesh, without the need for walls, columns and beams.

Evolving technology using cement, foam, glass and other elements is making it easier, faster and cheaper to build structures. While the application to commercial buildings is impressive, the application to residential housing is spectacular. Innovative building materials will soon make affordable housing a reality around the globe.