{"id":30346,"date":"2025-05-08T17:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/walmart-and-alquist-3d-set-new-standards-with-3d-printed-supercenter-expansion\/"},"modified":"2025-05-08T17:00:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T00:00:40","slug":"walmart-and-alquist-3d-set-new-standards-with-3d-printed-supercenter-expansion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/walmart-and-alquist-3d-set-new-standards-with-3d-printed-supercenter-expansion\/","title":{"rendered":"Walmart and Alquist 3D Set New Standards with 3D Printed Supercenter Expansion"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Walmart, the world\u2019s largest retailer, and Alquist 3D, a trailblazer in construction technology, have completed a groundbreaking project that could reshape how commercial buildings are built.<\/p>\n<p>The recent 5,000-square-foot expansion of Walmart\u2019s Supercenter in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, was completed in record time using 3D concrete printing (3DCP) technology. This proves that automation and robotics are no longer futuristic concepts but viable, scalable solutions for today\u2019s construction challenges.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-concrete-proof-that-3d-printing-works-in-commercial-construction\">Concrete Proof That 3D Printing Works in Commercial Construction<\/h2>\n<p>Using robotic arms to layer high-performance concrete, Alquist 3D built the 16-foot-high structural walls in just 75 hours over seven operational days. Compared to conventional methods, the process was <strong>50% faster<\/strong>, <strong>three times stronger<\/strong>, and <strong>15% more cost-effective<\/strong>, all while reducing material waste by <strong>55%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This marks Alquist\u2019s second collaboration with Walmart, following a successful 3D-printed build in Athens, Tennessee. According to <strong>Patrick Callahan<\/strong>, CEO of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.alquist3d.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Alquist 3D<\/a>, this project underscores that 3D printing is no longer a novelty\u2014it\u2019s a commercially viable method that offers time, cost, and environmental benefits.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re proving that 3DCP is cheaper and greener than standard CMU construction\u201d said <strong>Darin Ross<\/strong>, president and CEO of FMGI, the general contractor overseeing the project.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-this-project-matters\">Why This Project Matters<\/h2>\n<p>Construction is notorious for being slow, expensive, and wasteful. Walmart and Alquist\u2019s latest project directly challenges those limitations:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Speed<\/strong>: From weeks to days\u2014walls that would typically take up to three weeks to complete were done in just over three days.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Cost-efficiency<\/strong>: A 15% cost reduction compared to the previous 3DCP build, with expectations of further savings at scale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sustainability<\/strong>: The environmental footprint is significantly lower, with less than 5% material waste and reduced labor requirements.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Labor optimization<\/strong>: A five-person crew using two 3DCP systems completed work typically requiring larger teams.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Weather resilience<\/strong>: Unlike traditional methods that halt in bad weather, Alquist\u2019s process continued uninterrupted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>LB Johnson<\/strong>, Vice President of Construction at Walmart, emphasized the broader significance:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cOur approach to innovation is designed to optimize processes and simplify field operations \u2013 leading to reductions in project costs and timelines. This will enable speed to market for our customers and help accelerate evolution in the construction industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-building-the-future-workforce\">Building the Future Workforce<\/h2>\n<p>Alquist 3D isn\u2019t just printing buildings; it\u2019s also investing in the future of the workforce. Through a curriculum developed with Aims Community College in Colorado, it\u2019s training the next generation of construction professionals to manage and execute 3D-printed projects. The program blends hands-on technical training with innovation-driven thinking, helping bridge the skilled labor gap with a tech-forward approach.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-construction\">A Glimpse into the Future of Construction<\/h2>\n<p>With this second successful Walmart expansion, Alquist 3D has proven that robotic construction isn\u2019t a one-off experiment; it\u2019s a scalable, repeatable model for commercial buildings. The Alabama project sets a new benchmark for retail construction, where speed, sustainability, and savings converge.<\/p>\n<p>Walmart\u2019s continued experimentation with innovative building methods could signal a broader shift in the design and delivery of retail spaces, as well as potentially other commercial and residential buildings.<\/p>\n<p>As cost pressures and labor shortages continue to challenge the industry, projects like this demonstrate that the answer may lie not in more traditional methods, but in rethinking how we build from the ground up.<\/p>\n<p><em>Source: BUSINESS WIRE, May 8, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/walmart-and-alquist-3d-set-new-standards-with-3d-printed-supercenter-expansion\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">This article was originally posted at Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Walmart, the world\u2019s largest retailer, and Alquist 3D, a trailblazer in construction technology, have completed a groundbreaking project that &#8230; <a title=\"Walmart and Alquist 3D Set New Standards with 3D Printed Supercenter Expansion\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/walmart-and-alquist-3d-set-new-standards-with-3d-printed-supercenter-expansion\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Walmart and Alquist 3D Set New Standards with 3D Printed Supercenter Expansion\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1062,1066],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aec-business","category-all-posts","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30346"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30346\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essential.construction\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}