# 3D Printing > 3D Printers (Hardware) >  Man to 3D Print a 2-story home using a RepRap-like 3D Printer

## Eddie

Andrey Rudenko is setting out to 3D print a 2-story home in Minnesota, using a 3D printer that he has constructed.  It prints using a cement mix, and Rudenko plans on starting construction of the home this summer.  Once the home is complete, he will set his sites on an even more complicated project.  

It's really very fascinating, the examples he has shown are amazing.  Read the article and check out the video/photos at http://3dprint.com/2471/3d-printed-home-in-minnesota/

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## MysteryAlabaster

Is this the same person who had part of a building at the convention in NYC?

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## Eddie

No, that was Ioan Floria.  He's the guy that made the 3D Printed car from liquid metal.  

This is a completely different guy who seems to be doing a great job so far.  I can't wait until this summer, so we can see this thing printed!

Eddie

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## gamma-raze

This is really good quality for a cement printer.  If he succeeds he could make a ton of money reselling his printers or even opening up a construction business.  The chinese 3d printed homes were very ugly and bad quality.  This looks a lot better.

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## James Newton

Just in case anyone wants to build a 3D printer that size (or anything larger than normal), Andrey is using these 4 amp, 50 volt open source stepper drivers:
http://www.ecomorder.com/techref/ecomprice.asp?p=416074
Which work with the standard RAMPs/Marlin or other 3D printer controllers.

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## Eddie

Thanks for sharing James.  Andrey mentioned you in my talks with him  :Smile: 
 Eddie

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## Solidabble

It'll be interesting to see this thing progress.  I'm looking forward to seeing the end results if he ends up getting the permits needed to build this thing.  I wonder how he will go about doing that.

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## Eddie

Here is a bit of an update.  Here is Rudenko's latest test print.  Pretty cool.

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## Feign

I notice there is next to no reinforcing material inside these walls, which seems very unwise.  This guy might be printing more visually impressive rooms, but they seems a bit less stable than the ones being printed in China.  Is the sparse rebar in the first image really enough reinforcement for a wall?

Also, I notice some overhangs, which is impressive, I wonder how much overhang this concrete is capable of.  (Looks like about half an inch per layer?)

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## priscabubble

Really enjoyed and felt excited when reading through the articles and watching the video. 

I was just wondering how did Andrey go with figuring out the quantities of concrete required. Obviously, it is quite hard to figure out the volume given that they are printed in layers and in complex shape. 

Also, I have noticed that there are no columns at all, so does it means that the printed structure is sufficiently stable? Really curious about it.  :Smile:

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## Eddie

Looks like Andrey is progressing nicely with his project.  He has almost completed his mini castle.  see: http://3dprint.com/10723/3d-printed-castle-house/

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## 3D OZ

That is some of the best concrete printing I've seen, BUT it appears to be just the skin of a building that will have reinforcement inserted and then filled with concrete to make a solid wall.
So yet again the term "3D Printed" is being a little misused.
He has not 3D Printed a house, unlike the Chinese who actually did print "the house", in this case we are seeing a 3D printed skin that will be filled with a solid concrete core.
Given that there are dozens of technologies that can perform this function quicker and easier, this is not as huge a breakthrough as some would like.
What Andrey is doing is very aesthetic and artistic but it is not a 3D Printed house, not yet anyway.
There is the potential for some very complex wall shapes using this method that may not be acheivable with too many current methods but he's not quite there.

I'm not trying to belittle what has been achieved, I just wish we reserved use of the term "3D Printed" for when the vast majority of an object has been created solely through 3D Printing.

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## Geoff

Looks cool, I wonder in the future if everything we see manufactured around us will have lines running through it, it almost will look like a Dr Seuss Cartoon  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Feign

Well, now that's what I call progress!  I wouldn't be too worried about the walls being hollow.  In some of the earlier posts it seems he's got a technique of placing rebar between the layers bridging the gap in the wall which would make it pretty sturdy even when hollow.  Even filling the shell with regular concrete isn't that big a problem, since well, the printer itself could handle that if needed, just using a more fluid mix and higher pump speed.

What I'm still curious about (and am curious about with _all_ concrete printers, really) is how he plans to put a roof on it.

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## Roxy

> What I'm still curious about (and am curious about with _all_ concrete printers, really) is how he plans to put a roof on it.


Almost for sure that is a separate piece of the design.   Just like I would be willing to bet he isn't spending a lot of time looking for clear concrete so he can print the windows.  But with the right design, it might be as easy as laying boards from 'support' material on one side to 'support' material on the other side and putting shingles on.

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## Feign

> Almost for sure that is a separate piece of the design.   Just like I would be willing to bet he isn't spending a lot of time looking for clear concrete so he can print the windows.  But with the right design, it might be as easy as laying boards from 'support' material on one side to 'support' material on the other side and putting shingles on.


Well, that would make sense, but if you look at his drawing for the project, it's pretty clear that his ambitions run a little wilder than that.

He seems confident enough that it makes me think he's got some trick up his sleeve for making all those crazy parapets and peaks, and that's what has my curiosity.

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## mint

> I notice there is next to no reinforcing material inside these walls, which seems very unwise.  This guy might be printing more visually impressive rooms, but they seems a bit less stable than the ones being printed in China.  Is the sparse rebar in the first image really enough reinforcement for a wall?


I was also wondering about the lack of reinforcing steel when I first saw the printed houses in China. They are indeed shells of buildings with no advantage I see over something like concrete tilt-up buildings (those warehouse looking buildings like costco). 

However, 3d printing concrete does allow for more architectural expression which this Minnesota man is taking advantage of. Just needs to figure out a system to integrate structural. That first pic with rebar laid down flat seems structurally insufficient (someone correct me if I'm wrong) and kind of defeats the concept of automating the construction process (i.e. if there needs to be a guy laying down and welding the rebar between each layer).  

But, who knows, maybe some concrete replacement in the future won't even need steel to reinforce it.

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## Roxy

I would think with the hollow walls rebar can be put in place vertically.   And then if the shell if filled with concrete you have a reinforced structure.  I think it would be very strong.

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## Darrenm

I work in the precast concrete industry and when I saw this I was excited.  I have thought about this method of construction for a while, and how it could be achieved. The biggest roadblocks I run into is viscosity and curing rate vs. strength.  I feel that a 1 story low profile building is definitely achievable ... don't know so much about the hollow part, but I have been part of small structure designs where mostly the walls were supporting things in compression. those little stints they are laying in the path of the printer remind me of carbon rods, which are actually pretty strong..... but they need to consider wind load if they are going to attempt a multistory story buildings. I can't imagine how they would procedurally reinforce that.  I have pondered what would happen in you were to load an arch from above or if the structure were to be cracked in one place... how could it be repaired effectively. The testing must have been really fun. So amazing!

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## GWW

> I work in the precast concrete industry and when I saw this I was excited.  I have thought about this method of construction for a while, and how it could be achieved. The biggest roadblocks I run into is viscosity and curing rate vs. strength.  I feel that a 1 story low profile building is definitely achievable ... don't know so much about the hollow part, but I have been part of small structure designs where mostly the walls were supporting things in compression. those little stints they are laying in the path of the printer remind me of carbon rods, which are actually pretty strong..... but they need to consider wind load if they are going to attempt a multistory story buildings. I can't imagine how they would procedurally reinforce that.  I have pondered what would happen in you were to load an arch from above or if the structure were to be cracked in one place... how could it be repaired effectively. The testing must have been really fun. So amazing!


Yeah. Very exciting stuff. The curing rate would be a major concern for me. seems like the later layers will be going down on very "green" concrete. 

The printer he is using looks very similar to the Prusa i3 right? Would that be the most similar model? Curious to see the finished product and how successful he was going up the second level.

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## Eddie

Another update for you guys following this project.  The Castle has been completed:  http://3dprint.com/12933/3d-printed-castle-complete/

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## Feign

And there's a guy with some lucky kids and/or grandchildren.

The Chinese may have beat him to the punch on "first 3D printed building"...  But he definitely gets the record for "first 3D printed building _with style_".

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## ONUS

I just heard that he plans to sell this printer for $30,000-$50,000.  I bet he sells a bunch of them too.

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## Eddie

Well it looks like Andrey Rudenko is gettng closer to 3D printing his 2-story home.  His latest iteration of his 3D printer is even more incredible!  Read and see more, including a sketch of what the house will look like at: 

http://3dprint.com/40154/3d-printed-house-rudenko

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## Feign

It's a bit disappointing that he's running into bureaucratic roadblocks.  I assume the difficulty is less the printing and more in selling the final product to someone else.

A suggestion I would make is rather than selling the printed houses, rent the printer and the design files to those who want to print their own houses (for nearly the same amount of money).
Building your own house has significantly less oversight (for better or for worse) than selling one.

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## curious aardvark

Are they are videos that show the actual printer ? 

I can only watch so much cement being extruded by a floating nozzle.

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## mscoy

Wow. It looks awesome. Soon everyone would have their home 3d printer. LOL. But for that price @ONUS?

I have an obsession with Legos and 3D Reprap Kit are like Legos. I had 2 3D printers. The first one had the SD card empty. I wonder if anyone in here can provide the manual and build files from the sd card?  Or link where I can dl? Ive been looking all over the web.


Thanks,
Ms. Coy
Reprap Prusa Mendel i3
Arduino MEGA 2560+Ramps1.4 + A4988
Nebraska Insterstate Drug Defense
1411 Harney St., Suite 200 
Omaha, NE 68102

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