VOA科学技术2024--World's Largest 3D Printed Community Nears Completion

Like other 3D printers, the Vulcan printer puts down layer by layer of materials to build an object. However, this printer is more than 13.7 meters wide and prints homes for people to live in.

This summer, the robotic printer from the homebuilder ICON¹ will complete the last of the 100 3D-printed houses in Wolf Ranch², a community about 48 kilometers from Austin, Texas.

ICON began printing the walls of what it says is the world's largest 3D-printed community in November 2022.

Compared to traditional homebuilding, the company says 3D printing is faster, less costly³, requires fewer workers, and reduces waste.

Conner Jenkins, a project leader, said, "It brings a lot of efficiency to the trade market... So, when there were maybe five different crews coming in to build a wall system, we now have one crew and one robot."

After concrete powder, water, sand and other additives⁴ are mixed together and put into the printer, a device called a nozzle releases the concrete mixture. The process looks like toothpaste being put onto a toothbrush, as the printer builds up the house layer by layer along an exact path.

The three- to four-bedroom homes take about three weeks to finish printing, with the foundation and metal roofs put in place with traditional building methods.

Jenkins said the concrete walls are designed to be resistant⁵ to water, mold, insects and extreme weather.

Lawrence Nourzad, 32, and his girlfriend Angela Hontas, 29, purchased a Wolf Ranch home earlier this summer.

"It feels like a fortress⁶," Nourzad said, adding that he was confident the home would hold up to severe weather conditions.

The walls also provide strong insulation⁷ from the Texas heat, the couple said. The materials keep the inside temperature cool even when the air conditioner is not put on high levels.

There was one other thing the 3D-printed walls seemed to protect against, however: a solid wireless⁸ internet connection.

Nourzad said, "Obviously these are really strong, thick walls. And that's what provides a lot of value for us as homeowners and keeps this thing really well-insulated in a Texas summer, but signal doesn't transfer through these walls very well."

To deal with this issue, an ICON spokeswoman said most Wolf Ranch homeowners use mesh⁹ internet routers. These routers broadcast a signal from several units placed throughout a home, whereas a traditional router sends a signal from one device.

The 3D-printed homes at Wolf Ranch cost from $450,000 to nearly $600,000. Developers said a little more than one quarter of the 100 homes have been sold.

ICON, which 3D-printed its first home in Austin in 2018, hopes to one day take its technology to the Moon.

NASA, as part of its Artemis Moon exploration program, has an agreement for ICON to develop a system capable of building landing pads, shelters, and other structures on the moon's surface.

Words in This Story

3D printer - n. a device used to manufacture objects by depositing material in layers according to a pattern or model

layer - n. a quantity of material covering a surface

efficiency - n. the capability¹⁰ of producing desired results with little or no waste

foundation -- n. a body or ground upon which something is built up

mold - n. a growth produced especially on damp or decaying organic matter

fortress - n. a large and permanent fortification

insulation - n. special material that prevents transfer of electricity, heat, or sound

transfer -- v. to move or convey from one place or situation to another

1 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

2 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

3 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

4 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

6 fortress   

n.堡垒，防御工事

参考例句：

• They made an attempt on a fortress.他们试图夺取这一要塞。
• The soldier scaled the wall of the fortress by turret.士兵通过塔车攀登上了要塞的城墙。

7 insulation   

n.隔离；绝缘；隔热

参考例句：

• Please examine the insulation of the electric wires in my house.请检查一下我屋子里电线的绝缘情况。
• It is always difficult to assure good insulation between the electric leads.要保证两个电触头之间有良好的绝缘总是很困难的。

8 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

9 mesh   

n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络

参考例句：

• Their characters just don't mesh.他们的性格就是合不来。
• This is the net having half inch mesh.这是有半英寸网眼的网。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。