3D Printing Building Construction Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Growth and Change to 2030

Major players in the 3D printing building construction market are XtreeE, Winsun (Yingchuang Building Technique), Skanska, Apis Cor, Al build, Branch Technology, Zhuoda Group, Cazza Construction Company and Contour Crafting Corporation.

The global 3d printing building construction market is expected to grow from $3.8 million in 2020 to $4.63 million in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.7%. The growth is mainly due to the companies resuming their operations and adapting to the new normal while recovering from the COVID-19 impact, which had earlier led to restrictive containment measures involving social distancing, remote working, and the closure of commercial activities that resulted in operational challenges. The market is expected to reach $329.01 million in 2025 at a CAGR of 190%.

The 3D printing building construction market consists of the sales revenue earned by entities (organizations, sole traders, and partnerships) that construct buildings through 3D printers and offer related services. 3D printing or additive manufacturing is a computer-controlled sequential layering of materials to create three-dimensional shapes. In the construction industry, 3D printing is used to build components of building or to create a whole building. It helps to construct faster and more accurate structures with reduced labor costs and less wastage.

The capability to build complex structures within a stipulated time for a reasonable cost is a major factor driving the demand for 3D printing building construction market. 3D printing building construction is cost-effective, saves time, provides more precision, safe, cuts labour costs, is environmentally friendly, and easily helps build complex building structures. According to 3D Natives Magazine published in January 2018, 3D printing in construction is economical in terms of material usage when compared with the traditional manufacturing process. Moreover, 3D printing reduces the labour costs by 50%-80%, production time by 50%-70%, and construction waste by 30%-60%. Therefore, the economic benefits offered by 3D printing construction is expected to significantly boost the market growth.

A high initial capital investment requirement is anticipated to impact the growth of the 3D printing building construction market over the coming years. The high cost of 3D printers and their maintenance is a major challenge for industry players. According to Winsun 3D Builders, a 3D printing construction company, the high initial investment of 3D concrete printers is currently at a level that requires high capital and decent construction projects in order to support small and medium companies to overcome the capital requirements for expansion and growth. The requirement of high initial capital to set up the process is expected to hinder the growth of the 3D printing building construction market in the forecast period.

The 3D printing building construction market covered in this report is segmented by construction into modular; full building. It is also segmented by process into extrusion; powder bonding; others, by printing material into concrete; plastic; metal; hybrid; others and by end user into residential; commercial; industrial.

Increasing flexibility in 3D printing operations using advanced software is a major trend shaping the growth of the 3D printing building construction market. In November 2019, AMFG, a UK-based provider of MES software, announced the strategic partnership with EOS to enable machine connectivity and end-to-end workflow automation for additive manufacturing. The companies together plan to offer customers the management of their entire additive manufacturing operations with AFMG’s Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and direct connectivity to machines with the software platform. EOS is a technology supplier in the field of industrial 3D printing of polymers and metals.

In January 2019, Apis Cor, a company engaged in 3D printing in construction, announced a strategic collaboration with Gerdau, supplier of long and special steel worldwide. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating Apis Cor’s ability of 3D printing in the construction industry in the USA and South America. Gerdau previously supported Apis Cor in the “3D printing habitat challenge” organized by NASA. Gerdau was founded in 1901 and is a long steel producer based in Brazil.