Dan Seiffert SVP, Accounting | realtors.com
A Walmart Supercenter’s new expansion in Athens, Tennessee, represents one of the largest 3-D printed commercial real-estate projects in U.S. history. The project highlights both the potential and challenges of this emerging technology.
The retail giant added an 8,000-square-foot space to its location to accommodate items purchased online for pickup or delivery. With over 200 similar expansions planned, Walmart aimed to determine if 3-D printing could expedite construction and reduce costs.
However, Tennessee's summer heat and humidity posed significant obstacles. The project was delayed by weeks due to issues with materials and equipment malfunctions. The cost ended up being comparable to traditional construction methods.
“There’s a number of things that we’ve learned,” said Patrick Callahan, CEO of Alquist 3D, the company hired by Walmart for the project.
Venture capitalists have invested billions into 3-D printing startups, anticipating their future role in mass-producing components for industries like semiconductors and aerospace. Advocates also believe that 3-D printed houses could help address the U.S. housing shortage by offering faster and cheaper construction alternatives.
Despite these prospects, few commercial real-estate projects have utilized 3-D printing due to unresolved issues around cost and speed compared to traditional methods.
The process involves layering material using a computer-programmed robotic arm, unlike traditional manufacturing which removes material from raw inputs like metal sheets.
In Tennessee, Alquist collaborated with FMGI, a long-time general contractor for Walmart projects. FMGI CEO Darin Ross noted that integrating “traditional construction guys” with Alquist’s “new technology guys and gals” did not always go smoothly. Material incompatibility and environmental factors further complicated the project.
Local building permits and weather conditions also contributed to delays. However, efficiency improved as the project progressed. Walmart has since contracted Alquist for another similar endeavor.
Alquist has faced mixed results in other ventures as well. They successfully partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build three homes in Virginia using 3-D printing technology. These homes are reportedly performing better than traditionally built structures in terms of indoor environmental quality.
Conversely, a subsequent project in Iowa encountered difficulties with materials leading to superficial cracks; ultimately, the building was demolished.
“That situation I think exposed the difficulty that 3-D construction printing is at today,” said Pete Evans from Iowa State University.
Alquist did not complete the Iowa project due to disagreements over engineering design with their customer but has since relocated to Colorado where they received incentives from Greeley city officials to open a warehouse there.
“This is part of the challenge of introducing new technology to the world,” said Zack Mannheimer, founder of Alquist. “Some projects are going to go great, and some projects are going to be challenged.”
Walmart remains optimistic about exploring new technologies despite these challenges. “Walmart is always looking to innovate and leverage developing technologies,” said Mike Neill, Vice President for U.S. Construction at Walmart.
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