Additive manufacturing technology has made its debut in the U.K. water sector. Technology developer ChangeMaker 3D partnered with United Utilities to design, 3D print and install a wastewater chamber at one of the utility company’s test facilities in Cheshire.

The concrete chamber fabricated with technology labeled Printfrastructure delivered a 25% reduction in carbon, 20% cost saving and 55% reduction in labor versus traditional methods. The chamber was printed in under four hours, and with a significant reduction in the materials used. The printing process also demonstrated safety benefits by reducing the requirement to work at height or in confined spaces.

During a 12-week trial, the project partners identified the most suitable component to design and demonstrate. A wastewater distribution chamber was selected, which provided a technical challenge and the opportunity to bring a more sustainable approach to a component which has traditionally been carbon heavy.

The U.K.’s first 3D-printed water chamber at the United Utilities site in Cheshire. Source: United Utilities/ChangeMaker3D

A digital model of the 1.8 m cylindrical chamber was designed and then printed offsite by Dutch technology partner CyBe Construction in a process that involved piping 3D mortar through a robotic arm to a precise computer design. The chamber has been craned into position at the wastewater facility and is undergoing testing.