Bengaluru to get country’s first 3D printed post office building

L&T Construction announced on Tuesday that it is building India’s first post office building in Bengaluru using 3D printing technology. According to the company, the project will take 45 days to design and build the 1,000-square-foot Halasuru Post Office using 3D Concrete Printing Technology.

3D-printed post office

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) is constructing the post office at the Cambridge Layout in Ulsoor for about Rs 23 lakh, which is about 30 to 40 percent less than what would be required to construct a typical post office. This post office was initially proposed in August of last year with a one-month construction timeline, but now that work has begun, it is being built more quickly.

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“While the technology has been approved by the Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC), the structural design of the post office has been validated by IIT Madras. The 3D printing of the post office building is cast ‘in situ’ at the job site in an ‘open to sky’ environment, using a fully automated 3D printer,” L&T said in a statement quoted by Economic Times.

According to L&T, 3D concrete printing has the potential to revolutionize the way that construction is done by accelerating the building process and improving overall build quality.

“The cement, sand, and a waterproof chemical are added into a churner with measured amounts of water. The mixture then comes out in blocks, which will be laid on top of each other along with iron pillars in between for support,” a worker told The Hindu.

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Structure built in 3D

According to M V Satish, full-time Director and senior executive vice-president of L&T Construction (Buildings), the post office is Karnataka’s first public structure built in 3D. The project is moving along quickly, and when completed, the building will most likely become a mini landmark in Bengaluru.

 

“L&T Construction’s primary focus for 3D printing technology includes affordable housing up to G+3 floors, villas, military barracks, and single-floor schools, post offices, and factories. We are actively seeking to expand our portfolio of 3D printed structures in various sectors and are positioned well to capitalize on the benefits of this innovative technology,” he described.

While this is a pilot project, if it is successful, the department may arrange a few more in the future.

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“We have over 400 vacant sites where we want to build post offices. After the construction of this building, we will prepare a report and submit it to the department. Then based on the existing guidelines, if they accept this report, then more such post offices are to be expected,” said S. Rajendra Kumar, Chief Post Master General, Karnataka Circle. Quoted The Hindu.