On February 5, 2025, according to the resource database, the American army recently completed an innovative construction project in Fort Bliss, Texas, and used 3D printing technology to build a lot of new battalions. These barracks have a total area of 5,700 square feet, making it the largest 3D printed building in the Western hemisphere. The project not only improves the living conditions of soldiers, but also provides new ideas for rapid deployment of future military buildings.
Recently, the barracks was officially put into service and a ribbon cup ceremony took place. The new building uses building materials resistant to mold and has resistance to wind, rain and earthquakes to ensure that soldiers can obtain stable living conditions in various environments. This time, three barracks were built, each with a capacity of up to 72 soldiers, offering a more modern infrastructure for the garrison and the training.
The project is built by the construction of the icon of the 3D construction printing company and was completed in cooperation with the relevant units of the United States Ministry of Defense. The advanced Vulcan 3D printing platform was used during the construction process, a portico printing system designed for large-scale buildings. At the same time, the project also used the concrete material of Lavacrete, which specifically optimizes resistance and printability, which makes the printing process more effective and more in accordance with construction needs.
This is the first time that the American army has adopted 3D printing technology for construction. Although the construction cycle exceeds a year, the military expects technology to continue to mature, the construction time of the 3D printed buildings on a large scale will be considerably shortened in the future. In addition to improving construction speed, this technology also has advantages such as energy saving, environmental protection and reducing artificial demand, providing a new solution for modernizing and upgrading military installations.
This barracks construction has not only improved the quality of soldiers’ residence, but has also become a typical case of innovation of military construction technology. In the future, the American army plans to further explore the application of 3D printing on the battlefield or expeditionary environments to quickly build temporary residential facilities and improve flexibility and emergency intervention capacities for military deployment.
Before that, technology was used in other military projects. For example, in 2021, a 3D printed training barracks was put into service in another Texas military base. With the continuous maturity of architectural 3D printing technology, its application prospects in military, civilian and other fields will still be extended.
