The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has introduced its first 3D printed barracks at Fort Bliss, home to the 1st Armored Division.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 29 brought together Lt. Gen. David Wilson, deputy Army chief of staff, G-9 (Installations), Sgt. Maj. Michael Perry, and leadership from the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss Garrison to mark the occasion.
Designed to meet the DoD’s updated Unified Facilities Criteria, which now includes standards for additive manufacturing, the project was led by Texas-based construction 3D printing company ICON. Each building spans 5,700 square feet, with plans announced in 2022 and development starting last year.
“The great senator Robert Francis Kennedy once said, ‘Do not look at things and wonder why, dream new ideas and say ‘why not?’” Wilson said. “We’re here today because many people dreamed of new ideas and said ‘why not,’ and that’s why we’re delivering this state-of-the-art facility to the Army today.”
3D printing durable barracks
As a part of this construction, three facilities have been completed, two at Pershing Heights and one at Camp McGregor in New Mexico, part of the Fort Bliss Training Complex.
The structures were then printed in layers using ICON’s Vulcan 3D printer and the company’s proprietary Lavacrete material. This concrete-based material is designed to adapt to environmental factors such as humidity and temperature.
Ensuring the barracks met all safety and operational requirements required collaboration with the Fort Bliss Garrison Directorate of Public Works and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The new facilities will be used to house service members arriving for mobilization training, supporting Fort Bliss’s role in processing and training around 70,000 personnel each year. Army Reserve and National Guard units rotating through the base will also make use of the barracks. Each structure can accommodate up to 56 soldiers, with the 382nd Military Police Detachment, an Army Reserve unit from Massachusetts, set to be the first occupants.
For Wilson, this project marks a return to familiar ground. He previously served at Fort Bliss from 2008 to 2010 as commander of the 121st Brigade Support Battalion and now oversees military infrastructure and housing in his role with Army G-9.
He said, “one of the warmest and most welcoming communities I had ever been a part of in my 38 years of service, both as an enlisted Soldier and a commissioned officer.”
According to Lt. Gen., this post has adapted over time, incorporating new technologies, strategies, and approaches to service. “So, it’s fitting that we gather here today to open new barracks that embody the same spirit of evolution and progress.”
ICON’s contribution to military housing also includes the unveiling of 3D printed training barracks at Camp Swift Training Center in Bastrop, Texas, marking the largest 3D printed structure at the time in North America.
Developed in partnership with the Texas Military Department (TMD), the facility spans 3,800 square feet and can accommodate up to 72 troops during training. Designed by Logan Architecture with engineering by Fort Structures, the barracks were also built using ICON’s Vulcan 3D printing system.
Construction 3D printing for military
Alongside residential projects, construction 3D printing is also being used for military housing.
For instance, the Texan company collaborated with the U.S. government-backed Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to test the military applications of 3D printing at Camp Pendleton Marine base.
A team of eight Marines, with little engineering experience, trained on ICON’s Vulcan 3D printer and successfully built a vehicle hide structure in 36 hours. Measuring 26 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 15 feet high, the structure was created using Lavacrete material. Following the successful test, the technology continued to be used in broader U.S. military operations.
Elsewhere in 2023, the Indian Army completed its first 3D printed dwelling unit in Ahmedabad Cantonment, designed to be disaster-resistant and compliant with Zone-3 earthquake specifications and green building standards. Built by the Military Engineering Services (MES) in aliance with Gujarat-based MiCoB Pvt Ltd, the 71-square-meter structure, including garage space, was constructed using 3D Rapid Construction Technology.
The process involved printing walls, slabs, and the foundation, reducing the construction time to 12 weeks. At the time of this announcement, it was revealed that the army was also testing 3D printed precast defenses and overhead protection structures, including in Ladakh, for potential operational deployment.
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Featured image shows two of three newly opened 3D printed barracks at Fort Bliss. Photo via David Poe for U.S. Army.
