SA University Builds Its Own Concrete 3D Printer And Saves R6 Million Doing It!

Importing the technology was expensive and complicated, so the University of the Free State built their own. Free State, South Africa (19 May 2026) – The Green Concrete Lab... The post SA University Builds Its Own Concrete 3D Printer And Saves R6 Million Doing It! appeared first on Good Things Guy.

May 19, 2026 - 12:14

SA University Builds Its Own Concrete 3D Printer And Saves R6 Million Doing It!

Importing the technology was expensive and complicated, so the University of the Free State built their own.

Free State, South Africa (19 May 2026) – The Green Concrete Lab at the University of the Free State has designed and built a large-scale concrete 3D printer from scratch.

Every part of it, from the mixing and pumping systems to the robotic arm and the software that runs it all, was made in-house. Nothing was imported or outsourced.

Dr Hossein Naghizadeh, who led the project, was part of the team that built South Africa’s first 3D-printed house at the University of Johannesburg in 2019. That project showed just how powerful the technology could be, but it also showed how expensive and complicated it is to bring these systems in from abroad.

“The project demonstrated the enormous potential of digital construction technologies, but it also highlighted the challenges associated with importing large-scale 3D printing systems, including high costs for equipment, software licences, maintenance, training, and materials,” he says.

Instead of relying on imported technology, the UFS team, equipped with the skills to build a machine, did it themselves. In doing so they saved an estimated R6 million!

The 3D printer does not produce plastic but a specially formulated concrete. A digital model of the structure is created first, then a concrete mixture is pumped through a system to a robotic arm fitted with a nozzle. The robot builds the structure layer by layer with precision.

The printer is capable of creating complex shapes and structures that would be nearly impossible, or wildly expensive, to make using traditional construction methods.

Photo Credit: University of the Free State

Students were involved in designing, building, testing, and operating the system, while also learning how to develop the printable materials and digital models that make it work.

“These are scarce and future-oriented skills that will become increasingly important as the construction industry moves towards automation, sustainability, and smart infrastructure technologies,” says Dr Naghizadeh.

The printer was originally sparked by a very specific problem. The team was developing green concrete and biochar structures to remove contaminants from wastewater, but traditional casting methods couldn’t produce the complex shapes needed. 3D printing could.

That’s still a core part of what the lab does, but the potential goes much further. The technology can produce structural components, architectural features, and artificial reef systems. And it does so with less material waste than conventional construction, since concrete is only placed exactly where it’s needed!

Dr Naghizadeh believes it could eventually play a real role in tackling South Africa’s housing and infrastructure backlog by enabling faster, more affordable, and more sustainable building.

“This is a pioneering example of locally anchored technological capability that advances South Africa’s position in digital construction. This is a project that is smart and most important, a cost-saving innovation.” says Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof Vasu Reddy.