{{Short description|Technology for 3D printing of buildings}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2011}}
'''Contour crafting''' is a building printing technology being researched by Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute (in the Viterbi School of Engineering) that uses a computer-controlled crane or gantry to build edifices rapidly and efficiently with substantially less manual labor. It was originally conceived as a method to construct molds for industrial parts. Khoshnevis decided to adapt the technology for rapid home construction as a way to rebuild after natural disasters, like the devastating earthquakes that have plagued his native Iran.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.annenbergfoundation.org/news/news_show.htm?doc_id=319057 |title=Annenberg Foundation Puts Robotic Disaster Rebuilding Technology on Fast Track |accessdate=May 8, 2012 |date=November 14, 2005 |publisher=University of Southern California School of Engineering }}</ref>
Using a quick-setting, concrete-like material, contour crafting forms the house's walls layer by layer until topped off by floors and ceilings set in place by the crane. The notional concept<!-- there is little, if any, in the sources to show this is a developed operable system; it is however a notional concept, that with a lot of development work, might offer some improvements over existing construction technologies. --> calls for the insertion of structural components, plumbing, wiring, utilities, and even consumer devices like audiovisual systems as the layers are built.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build02/PDF/b02105.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021092630/http://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/build02/PDF/b02105.pdf |archive-date=2014-10-21 |title=Automated Construction using Contour Crafting – Applications on Earth and Beyond }}</ref>
==History==
Caterpillar Inc. provided funding to help support Viterbi project research in the summer of 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2008/caterpillar-inc-funds.htm |title=Caterpillar Inc. Funds Viterbi 'Print-a-House' Construction Technology |accessdate=January 13, 2010 |date=August 28, 2008 |publisher=USC – Viterbi School of Engineering |archive-date=October 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010034302/https://viterbi.usc.edu/news/news/2008/caterpillar-inc-funds.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2009, Singularity University graduate students established a project with Khoshnevis as the CTO to commercialize Contour Crafting. The project was named "ACASA".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/08/singularity-university-semester.html|title=Singularity University Semester Completion and Projects|accessdate=October 21, 2014|date=August 28, 2009|publisher=NextBigFuture}}</ref>
In 2010, Khoshnevis claimed that his system could build a complete home in a single day,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/10009.html |title = Home, Sweet Home |accessdate = January 13, 2010 |date = March 24, 2004 |publisher = University of Southern California |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100225032636/http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/10009.html |archivedate = February 25, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> and its electrically powered crane would produce very little construction material waste.
Construction of a standard wood-framed house is estimated to create an average of 3-7 tons of waste.<ref>{{cite web|title=Green Building and Development|url=https://aaec.vt.edu/content/dam/aaec_vt_edu/extension/cee/files/green-building-worksheet.pdf|publisher=Virginia Tech|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref> Use of contour crafting could significantly reduce environmental impact as it wastes no material at all. In addition, contour crafting does not generate noise, dust or make harmful emissions to the environment given the equipment that is used.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Impact of Contour Crafting on Civil Engineering |author1=Gabriel Fernandes|author2=Lucas Feitosa|date=August 26, 2015|url=https://www.ijert.org/impact-of-contour-crafting-on-civil-engineering|journal=International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology |volume=4|number=8|access-date=May 2, 2023}}</ref>
Khoshnevis stated in 2010 that NASA was evaluating Contour Crafting for its application in the construction of bases on Mars and the Moon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.media.mit.edu/node/2277 |title=Colloquium with Behrokh Khoshnevis |accessdate=January 13, 2010 |publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130718193555/http://www.media.mit.edu/node/2277 |archive-date=July 18, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After three years, in 2013, NASA funded a small study at the University of Southern California to further develop the ''Contour Crafting'' 3D printing technique. Potential applications of this technology include constructing lunar structures of a material that could be built of 90-percent lunar material with only ten percent of the material transported from Earth.<ref name=tf20140115>{{cite news |title=NASA's plan to build homes on the Moon: Space agency backs 3D print technology which could build base |url=http://techflesh.com/nasas-plan-to-build-homes-on-the-moon-space-agency-backs-3d-print-technology-which-could-build-base/ |accessdate=2014-01-16 |newspaper=TechFlesh |date=2014-01-15 |archive-date=January 16, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116195122/http://techflesh.com/nasas-plan-to-build-homes-on-the-moon-space-agency-backs-3d-print-technology-which-could-build-base/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2017 the Contour Crafting Corporation (of which Khoshnevis is the CEO) announced a partnership with and investment from Doka Ventures. In the press release, they claim that they "''will start delivery of the first printers early next year"''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://contourcrafting.com/press-release/|title=New Press Release - CC-Corp|date=2017-06-08|work=CC-Corp|access-date=2017-09-14|language=en-US|archive-date=February 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200203081615/http://contourcrafting.com/press-release/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== See also ==
* {{annotated link|D-Shape}} * {{annotated link|3D printing}} * {{annotated link|Broad Sustainable Building}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120422134904/http://www.contourcrafting.org/ Contour Crafting website] {{3d printing}} {{emerging technologies|topics=yes|architect=yes}}
Category:Building engineering Category:American inventions Category:3D printing processes Category:2008 introductions