ETI CEO seeks funding, support for 3D house printing technology
RED SPRINGS — A technology that has the capacity to 3D print homes could come to Red Springs.
During a regular business meeting this week, James Freeman, CEO of the Emerging Technology Institute, told Red Springs commissioners his company has been working with the College of Engineering at N.C. State University and Habitats for Humanity in an effort to secure state funding to purchase technology that will 3D print concrete houses among other structures.
If the funding is secured from the state, ETI and N.C. State University will purchase the technology from the Denmark-based 3D construction printing company, COBOD International. The company will deliver the equipment and provide three weeks of training, Freeman said.
“Within the three weeks of training, my recommendation would be to invite several folks from the Town of Red Springs who would like to receive that training at no cost,” Freeman said. “Along with those receiving the training are ETI employees, N.C. State employees, Habitat for Humanity, CTE from the community college — now we’ve got the framework of some 20 or 30 people who know how to operate this piece of equipment so the next time when a natural disaster happens in September or October, if someone’s housing is down, fences down, streets are messed up, we can then take this piece of equipment on the road and fix that situation just like that.”
What is needed from the town of Red Springs is a partnership and a site for the homes.
“We have a desire to build four to 10 3D printed concrete homes in Red Springs for homeless or veterans here in the community… Those houses will be zero-net energy, they will have solar, water purification,” Freeman said.
Commissioner Chris Edmonds asked what the cost of building a 1,600-square-foot home out of concrete would be compared to a traditionally framed home.
“Data is telling us that it is about 75% of a reduction of what the market is,” Freeman said.
The 3D printing of concrete now is revolutionalizing the way housing is done.
“We can actually build a house in less than 48 hours,” Freeman said.
How it works is the 3D printing technology builds the outside shell of the home by applying multiple layers of concrete.
“You still have to come in and throw in electricity, plumbing, roofing — that is where the public schools and the community college are going to come in and help with that and learn how to do that hands-on,” Freeman said.
This is what will help boost local workforce development, according to Freeman.
A project like this has not yet been done in North Carolina.
“If we get this technology in Red Springs we will be the first town, county and project in the state of North Carolina that has built a home that is livable with concrete from a 3D printer,” Freeman said. “It has not yet been done in North Carolina.”
Freeman said his ultimate goal is to not just use the technology for just home construction but to expand the technology’s scope.
“What we’re doing is we’re getting the funds to research and develop the technology because the folks that are using the technology right now at the current time are only doing it to build houses and we feel like the technology can support infrastructure as far as roads… fencing,” Freeman said
“This will actually bring — it will light up a big star on Red Springs. People will come see it, be a part of it, follow up,” Town Manager David Ashburn said.
Freeman told commissioners to further research the technology before making a decision.
Tomeka Sinclair can be reached at [email protected] or 910-416-5865.
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