Can Cazza Construction and Dubai set a new world record?
Dubai-based startup and construction technologies firm, Cazza Construction, and Dubai are looking to achieve a feat of engineering genius. Together, they want to 3D print the world’s very first skyscraper. While it may sound like an ambitious project even for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Dubai is no stranger to setting records in 3D printing.
In fact, the country is best known for its several marks of notoriety in the industry. To date, Dubai is responsible for the following:
Dubai’s 3D Printing History:
- Museum of the Future: a $500 million dollar 3D print project that plans to include 3D printed exterior infrastructure and holographic incorporations.
- The World’s First 3D Printed Office Building: Here, Dubai 3D printed both the exterior and the interior of the building, including the furniture.
- The World’s First Research & Development Labs: A project that entails 3D printing four separate laboratories specific to different branches of research, including drone technologies.
UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum outlined a demanding deadline. He wants to 3D print 25% of the country’s buildings within the next twenty years. To meet expectations, Cazza Construction and Dubai are looking to deliver the world’s first 3D printed skyscraper no later than 2030.
And they plan on doing this through a new technique Cazza Construction and Dubai call “crane printing.” Put simply, crane printing is outfitting an already existing crane with 3D printing equipment. The only difference is that these cranes are specifically built to reach heights as tall as 262 feet (80m) and above.
Chief operating officer at Cazza Construction had this to say of crane printing,
“The crane printing system can be easily adopted with existing cranes which means we don’t have to build cranes from scratch. We are adding new features to make it adaptable to high wind speeds along with the use of our layer smoothing system that creates completely flat surfaces. You won’t know it’s 3D printed.”
Eliminating the need to hand-tailor equipment for skyscraper proportions is a big advantage for Cazza Construction and Dubai. And with an end-goal of 75% self-sustainability via 3D printed buildings, it needs to be.
Looking Towards the Future
In the past, Cazza Construction has been known for its use of mobile 3D printing robots in addition to its use of existing construction methods to speed up build-time and increase savings. Similarly, Dubai’s past accomplishments have been known for 3D printing the majority of all its major structural components. Sometimes that has even included plumbing, wiring, electrical and more. Together, Cazza Construction and Dubai may very well be on the edge of something great.
Recently, Cazza was offered a $38.6 million buyout from an unknown Saudi developer. But the construction company says they are not keen to sell anytime in the near future. Nothing else has been disclosed about the project, but the first 3D printed skyscraper will undoubtedly be constructed in the UAE.
Leave a Reply