Dubai will build the world’s first mosque using a 3D printer. Here are the keys to the project.
Oil has caused the United Arab Emirates to become, in just a few decades, a haven of prosperity and economic waste. Among the different emirates that are in this concentrated geographical area, Dubai is one of the ones that best represents what ostentation is. Oil has been differential in everything that refers to obtaining money, but the truth is that everything has an expiration date. For this reason, it is very common to see how a whole series of projects are being carried out to turn around the local economy.
Among the many adoptions that are taking place, 3D printing has become one of the sectors which may have a great role in the economy of Dubai in the future. Such is the investment that is being made in the matter that it is expected that by the year 2025 the first mosque produced entirely using this technology will be available. Is it possible to do a rendering and make it a reality in just a couple of years? Other projects of this kind have shown us that it is completely feasible, and if you don’t believe it, here is a multi-story building created from this technology.
Let us see, therefore, what are the most outstanding characteristics that are related to this pharaonic project, what can we learn about 3D printing applied to the construction market and, of course, to what extent we are facing a trend that will forever change the way we understand buildings in the future. The design of this technology is already available, so it is worth taking a look at the current mockup.
This will be the first mosque produced entirely from a 3D printer
Dubai is present to be one of the engines of innovation around the world, which is why it will bet on technology based on 3D printing to create a mosque in the year 2025. According to information from Interesting Engineering, the construction work will be managed by the Dubai Department of Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities. The mosque in question will have a total area of 2,000 square meters and It is expected that it will be able to accommodate up to a total of 600 people at each ceremony.
The project is taking shape and, due to the simplicity of the operation of the technology based on a professional 3D printer, it is expected that it can be built within 4 months since the start of the works. It is important to take into account that, since it is a robotic arm that is in charge of installing the modules, the construction can be carried out 24 hours a day. This is one of the reasons why a construction speedup could occur. Even so, the process will take up to 12 months to be able to incorporate all the necessary furniture inside.
As reported by Al Shaibani, director of the IACAD engineering division, the material used for the construction will consist of a combination of high-quality raw materials and cement. It is important to consider how a specially designed robotic arm will be used to handle materials of this kind. It is expected that the production process can be carried out in several stages, which will be directed by a computer design program.
Despite the savings that may be expected in terms of the use of materials, the cost of the work could be up to 30% higher in relation to the conventional model of construction of this type of buildings. After all, the absence of economies of scale will be one of its main handicaps. It is expected that this first work could be the beginning of many more implications of 3D printers in the field of architecture.
