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In August, the US Marines built the world's first continuous, 3D printed concrete barracks. A joint effort between multiple US military divisions, the 500 square-foot barracks was printed in just 40 hours. The marines had to manually fill the printing machine with concrete and monitor its progress, but say the barracks could go up in under a day with another robot to mix and pump the concrete.
"In 2016, the commandant said robots should be doing everything that is dull, dangerous and dirty, and a construction site on the battlefield is all of those things," Friedell said. The ability to build structures and bases while putting fewer Marines in danger would be a significant accomplishment, he said. "In active or simulated combat environments, we don’t want Marines out there swinging hammers and holding plywood up," said Friedell. "Having a concrete printer that can make buildings on demand is a huge advantage for Marines operating down range."
"In 2016, the commandant said robots should be doing everything that is dull, dangerous and dirty, and a construction site on the battlefield is all of those things," Friedell said. The ability to build structures and bases while putting fewer Marines in danger would be a significant accomplishment, he said. "In active or simulated combat environments, we don’t want Marines out there swinging hammers and holding plywood up," said Friedell. "Having a concrete printer that can make buildings on demand is a huge advantage for Marines operating down range."