3D printing technology is being utilized for the first time in Kentucky to construct a home, addressing both the state’s housing shortage and the necessity for climate-resistant structures. The project is spearheaded by Somerset Community College, where students like engineering major Abby Burdette are engaged in hands-on learning.
Professor Eric Wooldridge leads the initiative, dubbed ‘Floodbuster 1.’ This project emerged in response to the need for durable housing, particularly after the devastating floods in 2022 and the recent EF-4 tornado that struck southeastern Kentucky.
The house is built using a large concrete printer that creates the structure layer by layer from a 3D model. This innovative approach results in quick, robust, and cost-effective construction. According to Ryan Cox from Alquist 3D, the printing process allows for completion within just 40 hours at a third of the expense of conventional building techniques.
Burdette expressed her hopes that this technology could significantly assist Kentucky’s most vulnerable populations. "It’s Kentucky, there are so many people that go without or need, and just to be able to be part of something that is trying to bring this kind of technology to those communities is really special," she mentioned.
While the broad adoption of this technology may take time, this initiative signifies the beginning of a promising trend that could help transform housing in the Commonwealth, providing safer and more sustainable living options.