A New 3D-Printed Railway Shelter Shows the Potential for the Technology

Most uses of 3D printing are still for smaller objects and products but the technique is increasingly being used in new construction.

In a remarkable example of the potential for 3D printing technology and how it might ultimately compete with more traditional building methods, workers in Hatsushima, Japan built a rail transit shelter in less than six hours, according to a report from the news source Ars Technica.

The 32-square-foot structure was printed off-site by Serendix and then was shipped in four parts by rail to the building site. The New York Times, which according to the report, was on hand for the assembly, said the process took six hours, though another source said it was completed in just three. Either way, it represents a significantly faster process than if a conventional building process were used.

The structure itself is made of mortar, “layered like dull-green frosting by a 3D-printing nozzle, reinforced by steel and framed at its edges by concrete,” the report said. The result is a building that has “earthquake resistance similar to that of reinforced concrete houses,” according to West Japan Railway (JR West). It said the cost was about half of what it would be to build with traditional reinforced concrete.

“We believe that the significance of this project lies in the fact that the total number of people required will be reduced greatly,” Ryo Kawamoto, president of JR West’s venture capital arm, told The New York Times.

The station in Wakayama Prefecture, about 15 miles southwest of Kyoto, replaces an existing wooden structure and serves a small number of daily riders, about 530. It is not yet operational, waiting for ticketing equipment to be installed and is expected to open in July.

Rendering: West Japan Railway Company via Ars Technica

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