3D Construction Housing Project Receives ‘Standards Innovation Award’ by National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI)
HTL.tech and Louth Co. Council to Unveil Completed Housing Project in Dundalk, the First 3D Construction Printed Housing Development in Ireland
Dublin - 21 October 2024 - HTL.tech is proud to announce it has been awarded the prestigious ‘Standards Innovation Award’ by the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) for its work in the 3D Construction Printing (3DCP) of housing, classified as Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Category 4 Additive Construction (AC). The award recognises HTL.tech’s integration of the new International, European and Irish Standard for Additive construction, I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023. By integrating the standard and achieving a Certificate of Conformity from Qualified AM GmbH, HTL.tech has set a remarkable example of how standards can drive cutting-edge advancements in the construction industry.
The NSAI ‘Standards Innovation Award’ is awarded to individuals and organisations that embed standards development into their research, development, or innovation processes and activities in accordance with the national strategy on research and innovation and demonstrate innovation in the use of standards.
The standard, published by the NSAI in December 2023, establishes comprehensive quality assurance requirements for AC in residential buildings and infrastructure projects. Presenting the award, the CEO of NSAI, Geraldine Larkin, said, “This honour recognises your exceptional integration of standards into HTL Technologies’ processes for 3D house construction printing. Your innovative efforts are helping to position Ireland as a leader in this field and demonstrating how standards can drive cutting-edge advancements. By adopting I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023, you are setting a remarkable example for others in the industry to follow.”
HTL.tech, in collaboration with Louth County Council, Roadstone Ltd, and LMETB, have designed and built three 3-bedroom homes at Grange Close in Dundalk, County Louth. The housing development will be launched in November and will provide accommodation for three local families on County Louth’s housing list. Each home is designed and built in accordance with Irish Building Regulations and in conformity with the new standard for Additive Construction I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023. The use of this technology not only reduced the overall housing delivery time by an estimated 30 % but also demonstrated the significant opportunity for AC to help address housing demand and deliver accelerated, high-quality homes in Ireland and the UK.
Justin Kinsella, HTL.tech MD & Co-Founder, said: “The timing of the NSAI’s publication of the new AC standard, in late 2023, coincided very well with our stage of development and preparations for the Social Housing Scheme in County Louth.
Achieving conformity with this standard on our project combined with the recognition provided by the NSAI’s ‘Standards Innovation Award’ is a major achievement and marks a significant milestone for both HTL.tech and the technology.
The award is shared with our very hardworking and dedicated team, our delivery partners and Standards Auditor. We are honoured and grateful to the NSAI and the associated technical committee’s often unseen and diligent work in assessing and adopting such standards.
Without such work and innovation, reliable progress is not possible. We are particularly proud to demonstrate through these new homes, being completed in Dundalk, how such work can directly translate into solutions that will meaningly contribute to the much-needed delivery of housing.”
The announcement follows the successful completion of an Audit by Qualified AM GmbH, resulting in a Certificate of Conformity for the HTL.tech Grange Close housing development. The audit was conducted by Gregor Reischle of Qualified AM GmbH, co-author of I.S EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023 for additive construction. This marks the first time an additive construction housing project has achieved certification under the standard, further establishing HTL.tech as a leader in compliant innovative construction practices.
Gregor Reischle, AM Standardisation Auditor, commented, "It's fantastic to see the standard we developed in collaboration with many AC industry stakeholders, now applied to housing. The quality assurance component of the 52939 standard brings together all supply chain participants, including AC System Manufacturer COBOD, concrete provider Roadstone Ltd, and system integrator HTL.tech. The dedication of all involved in upholding the standard has been crucial. During this project, we identified several improvement areas, which the HTL.tech AC team promptly addressed. While it required significant effort from everyone, we believe this pioneering initiative will greatly enhance AC qualification performance.”
The Grange Close project is the first housing development in Europe to use Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) in additive construction. In collaboration with Roadstone Ltd, a new 3D-printable RMC has been developed. This breakthrough highlights the capacity of additive construction to provide more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions to tackle housing shortages.
"The development of the National Standards Authority of Ireland last year in formally recognising and certifying 3DCP has come at a critical point in our journey of innovation”, said Patrick Diviney, Commercial Manager at Roadstone Ltd. “Not only is Roadstone at the forefront of concrete technology, but our partnership with HTL has proven the benefits of group thinking and collaboration in the quest to find new solutions for the Irish building market. We are very proud to work with HTL and Louth County Council in establishing a template for efficient building and achieving the new standard for Additive Construction I.S. EN ISO/ASTM 52939:2023. It is with great pride that we receive this award with our partner HTL, and while celebrating 75 Years at Roadstone, we continue to drive the construction industry in Ireland".
Grange Close Housing Scheme, Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland