Barracks from 3D printing. U.S. armed forces expand military construction options
The U.S. Army and Navy should rely more heavily on 3D printing technology in the future for military building construction. According to the US Department of Defense, the use of composite wood and other innovative elements should play a greater role in barracks construction. As part of the discussion, lawmakers and experts evaluated which of the modern techniques would be most appropriate and cost-effective while maintaining the necessary durability.
3D printing technology permeates all industries, and in recent years, increasing attention has been given to building construction using this method. Larger projects are gradually coming into the government sphere, and in the United States in particular, the local Department of Defense is now thinking more actively about the modern method of construction. To that end, it recently held a hearing led by the Director of Engineering Programs and the Chief Engineer of the Marine Corps, along with U.S. lawmakers from the House Appropriations Committee, the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and related agencies.
"In an increasingly complex global security environment, our commitment to innovation in military construction is not just about building, it's about building the resilience and readiness our forces need to win," Army Chief of Engineers Dave Morrow said at the meeting. "By working with industry to leverage these improvements, we can provide our military with a more resilient, sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently while equipping our soldiers with the best facilities in the world," Morrow continued at the hearing.
Additive manufacturing, also known as industrial 3D printing of buildings, involves using high-performance cement and concrete mixtures poured into molds by programmed construction robots to assist in construction. The actual building can thus be completed according to precise specifications in a single day or up to a week for larger projects. Speed, along with the use of the same materials as conventional construction, is the biggest advantage the military recognizes and aims to utilize more frequently.
In addition, along with the Navy, it seeks to play a greater role in geosynthetics—functional structures where at least one component is made of a synthetic or natural polymer, which can be used, for example, to strengthen slopes or improve the bearing capacity of the subsoil. At the same time, the DoD wants to make more use of composite or engineered wood, a material derived from wood often made from wood waste such as sawdust or wood chips glued together. Other composite materials also await greater use, as do structures using stretched fabrics and carbon fiber-reinforced polymers.
"Additive manufacturing has the potential to reduce costs, labor, logistics and time while opening the door for improved and new practices such as unconventional countermeasures," the director of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers told lawmakers. The technology could be used in garrisoning or on military missions abroad, he said.
In practice, 3D printing barracks are already operating at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida and Fort Bliss in Texas. There, engineers have already built three new barracks this way. And at Hampton Roads Air Force Base in Virginia, the Navy is testing the wider use of composite wood to build a child development centre. And, according to the Corps of Engineers, similar projects can already be implemented across 80 percent of U.S. territory.
"Today, the Marine Corps engineers are actively testing and using innovative technologies, materials and methods for building design and construction. And we are committed to strengthening collaboration with industry, academia and other government partners to identify and capitalize on future opportunities," said Chief of Engineers of the Navy Corps of Engineers Keith Hamilton. He, too, said the expansion of modern construction capabilities is intended to reduce costs, speed project delivery and meet warfighting requirements.
