DUBAI: Dubai is set to construct the world's first 3D-printed mosque, by the use of a technology has been used to build everything from homes to businesses and even bridges.
Dubai Government's Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department (IACAD) said the structure is being designed to accommodate 600 worshippers and cover 2,000 square meters spread over two floors. The mosque is to be made from a concrete mix, with its construction planned to begin by the end of year and set to be completed in the first quarter of 2025.
"We elected to 3D-print the mosque because it's a new and innovative technology that can potentially save time and resources compared to traditional building methods," Alhalyan Alsuwaidi of IACAD said, while declining to name the company that will be responsible for the construction.
Construction of buildings using 3D-printing involves the use of large printing machines that are programmed with the design information. The machines squeeze out the construction material through a nozzle, building up the structure in layers. While the biggest majority of 3D-printed structures are made from concrete, it is also possible to print using other materials like clay.
Dubai is aiming to become the 3D-printing capital of the world. In 2018, a "3D Printing Strategy" was launched that planned for one quarter of the emirate's new construction to be 3D-printed by 2030.
By 2019 Dubai achieved the world record for the largest 3D-printed structure, the 9.5 meters tall Dubai Municipality building with an area of 640 square meters. It is also home to the world's first 3D-printed office, and a 3D-printed drone research laboratory.
However, new 3D-printed buildings are coming up across the world, from housing for refugees in Jordan and for homeless people in Austin, Texas, to whole complexes of buildings like the 3,800 square foot Camp Swift military training center. Even entire neighborhoods, like the New Story project in Tabasco, Mexico, which will provide homes for families living in poverty, are sprouting up.
Theo Salet, dean of the Department of the Built Environment at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands is an advocate for modernizing the construction industry by using technology such as 3D-printing.
Salet believes that a project like Dubai's proposed mosque is the next phase in 3D-printed architectural design, but said that challenges are anticipated in its construction.
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