OKLAHOMA CITY – The number one cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing, reported the Oklahoma Policy Institute last month.
Rep. Mickey Dollens (D-Oklahoma City) believes he has a solution for the state’s housing crisis. He has proposed a legislative interim study on 3D printing technology that would explore the feasibility to construct affordable, sustainable and customizable homes in the state.
“Oklahoma is facing an affordable housing crisis, exacerbated by rising construction costs, supply-chain disruptions, labor shortages and a demand that exceeds the available supply,” Dollens said in a press release. “Oklahomans are feeling the squeeze, and it’s time we explore innovative solutions to address these challenges head-on. I believe advanced 3D printing technology has the potential to revolutionize the housing market.”
For every 100 extremely low-income Oklahoma renter households, the state only has 42 rentals that are available and affordable, the June OPI article reported. Another 77,000 rental units for extremely low-income renters (less than around $23,000/year for a family of four) is needed to have enough housing for everyone.
Five areas of focus would be addressed in the interim study including technology and implementation, benefits and sustainability, regulatory barriers and building codes, tax incentives and financial models and economic and social impact, Dollens’ press release said. OSU professor develops new technology Last fall, Oklahoma State University reported at news.okstate.edu that the nation’s first vehicle-mounted 3D printed a concrete structure. At the time, Dr. Tyler Ley, a professor in civil and environmental engineering with a research focus on concrete, had several concerns with how 3D printed concrete was progressing in the industry.
Some of those concerns included the sustainability of 3D printed mixes in comparison to traditional concrete mixtures, the required size of the 3D printer and lack of reinforcing bars. Ley rose to the challenges and created a senior design class to focus on all aspects of 3D printing concrete.
“I decided that this is a perfect opportunity to bring a true interdisciplinary team together to focus on the machine, the structures, the mix, everything,” Ley said in the September 2023 article. “This would include students with different backgrounds working to solve some of these big problems.”
Ley teamed with Jeanne Homer, an associate professor, to teach his first class. Students were tasked to design a one-story home that could be 3D printed.
“It was designed to imagine how light would enter the building, how to heat and cool it efficiently, how to make it weather resistant to the environment, and a space that the owners would enjoy,” the OSU article by Kristi Wheeler said.
The project was a success and the university created a system that would print from the ground, which is a vehicular system named a BAM 3D printer. BAM stands for Box-Auger Method. A manually driven forklift created the first 3D printed concrete wall. The printer is designed to be used on most construction vehicles and can print concrete around already tied rebar and any electrical and plumbing utilities. The printer also smooths the concrete as it is being placed, which creates a finished surface as it leaves the machine, the article reported. In addition, BAM 3D printed concrete structures will meet all building codes.
Two companies, Dolese and Megaspray, have provided substantial funding for the project.