Israel is considering changing its building construction regulations to accommodate 3DCP technology.
In a story in YNetNews, details the process currently underway in Israel to reform standards for building technologies. Apparently, these regulations have not been updated in over 50 years.
What’s caused the sudden change of thought on building regulations? It turns out it was two events.
The first was exposure to new, advanced building technologies by the authorities. Evidently, officials attended the World of Concrete exhibition, where they saw advanced materials, robotic systems, automated processes, and, of course, 3DCP systems.
The second trigger was the terrible events in Gaza. Due to that unfortunate conflict, it seems one of the side effects is a severe shortage of building construction workers in Israel. This means the cost of construction is rising, something quite undesirable in these days.
The officials put the two triggers together and turned it into an opportunity: could the missing construction workers be replaced with automated systems, including 3DCP?
Technically, this is possible. However, that only works if the building codes and other regulations are amenable to 3DCP’s style of construction. This leads us to their rationale for updating the rules.
CEO of the Planning Administration, Rafi Almaliah, told YNetNews:
“Israel’s construction sector is at a significant crossroads. The shortage of labour, alongside a technological leap, requires a renewed review of old regulations. Our responsibility is to enable professional, safe, and controlled assessment and implementation of innovation, which will improve construction quality, streamline execution, and benefit the economy and the public.”
Together, their conclusion is that additional construction capacity can be lit up — and also reduce costs by 10-15%.
But this is all happening in Israel. What about other countries?
Every country has its own building regulations, and no doubt many of them are quite conservative and, well, old. Technology capabilities have changed, and so must the regulations.
Some areas that are experiencing housing shortages, partly due to missing labour, might be able to partially alleviate the issue by enabling more widespread use of advanced construction technologies like 3DCP.
Let’s get those regulations updated.
Via YNetNews
