BM Partners completed Central Asia's first 3D printed house in Almaty, Kazakhstan, meeting strict seismic regulations.

Using extra-strong concrete, normally used for highly loaded structures such as skyscrapers and bridges, and other seismic precautions, the house is designed to withstand earthquakes of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale.

The entire building, with a floor area of 100 m2 (1076 square feet), was constructed in less than two months, with the walls printed in just five days.

To cope with the extreme temperature variations in Kazakhstan, the building also contains expanded polystyrene concrete for insulation.

BM Partners, the first 3D printing construction company in Kazakhstan, has successfully completed Central Asia's first 3D printed house.

The building is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, categorised as a high-risk zone for severe seismic activity according to the Richter scale.

It has been constructed to withstand a magnitude 7 earthquake, reflecting rigorous adherence to engineering principles and building codes designed to ensure safety and structural integrity during significant seismic events.

It covers an area of 100m2 (1076 square feet) and incorporates construction techniques specifically designed to withstand earthquakes. Despite this, the entire project was completed in less than two months, from the initial installation of the printer to the finalisation of the interior and furnishings. Remarkably, the walls were 3D printed in just five days, with an additional two days spent installing a seismic beam belt in accordance with local building codes. The reinforced concrete envelope, which surrounds the entire structure, is essential for improving the structural integrity of homes in earthquake-prone areas. The girder belt creates the distinctive top of the building.

Kazakhstan's first 3D printed house was completed in less than two months, from the initial installation of the printer to the final interior work and furnishings, demonstrating the potential to significantly speed up construction times, even when including seismic precautions such as the beam belt that leads to the building's distinctive top.

Marat Oshakhtiev, CEO of BM Partners, shared the vision behind the project: "Embracing modern technologies is essential in today's world. Our company is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advances with 3D printed construction in our country. With this Project, our company has taken a firm step into the future by addressing Kazakhstan's urgent need for modern, efficient and earthquake-resistant housing solutions".

To improve the structural integrity of the building, BM Partners uses a special strong concrete mix with a compressive strength of 60 MPa (8500 PSI), substantially exceeding the 7-10 MPa (1015-1450 PSI) typical of conventional bricks and stones used in Kazakhstan. This mix, composed of locally sourced cement, sand and gravel, enhanced with D.fab admixture, a joint development of COBOD International and Cemex, allows for customised concrete formulations tailored to regional needs.

Considering the extreme climatic conditions in Kazakhstan, which range from minus 57 to plus 49 degrees Celsius (minus 135 to plus 120 degrees Fahrenheit), the building incorporates expanded polystyrene concrete as wall insulation, improving both the thermal and acoustic performance of the wall.

The wall's thermal and acoustic performance has been improved.

Henrik Lund-Nielsen, Founder and CEO of COBOD International, said: "This project proves once again that 3D printed buildings are built to last, even in areas of high seismic risk. We are proud to have developed the solution that allowed BM Partners to complete this project in just two months and using extra-strong 3D printable concrete made from local materials."
www.cobod.com

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