In Žďár nad Sázavou, a concrete company printed barriers for soldiers, and will also print houses

Žďár nad Sázavou – The company ICE Industrial Services in Žďár nad Sázavou has utilized 3D concrete printing technology to create protective barriers that could assist the Ukrainian army. The resilience of this construction system to various types of projectiles has already been tested by ballistic specialists at a research institute in Brno. Tomáš Vránek, the chairman of the board, stated this to ČTK. According to him, the technology offers diverse applications, and the company has already begun printing the first modules of houses.

"I believe that within a few months, we will start building commercial structures," said Vránek. The designs are being prepared by architects led by Jiří Vítek, who, in addition to leading the ICE Architects team, teaches at the Faculty of Architecture at VUT in Brno. He focuses on parametric architecture and discovering new structures.

The company is currently seeking a way to transport the barriers to Ukraine. Since they are classified as military material, it is not possible to send them by train with humanitarian aid. "We are also considering the option of bringing the printer to the site and trying to print it there," Vránek said regarding the potential use of 3D technology in Ukraine. After the war, according to him, 3D printing could help quickly build replacement homes in this country.

According to Vránek, the barriers are printed from concrete that has high strength. They could be manufactured precisely for the specific location based on online supplied data. They are not as heavy as traditional concrete components because they are hollow and would be filled with sand only when placed on-site. The resilience of the barriers has been tested to the level of a tank machine gun, and according to Vránek, they meet NATO standard parameters.

ICE Industrial Services, a joint-stock company with 170 employees, provides automated machines and lines to customers from the automotive industry, engineering, and other sectors. The company has so far invested about 50 million crowns in the development of 3D concrete printing technology. According to the company, this technology will enable the creation of rough constructions up to five times faster and save up to 70 percent of material compared to traditional formwork pouring technology. The printed concrete components are hollow and can have various shapes.

"It is proving that the strength is excellent. There is nothing to suggest that we should have any significant problems, that this technology would be different from concrete pouring technology," Vránek stated. He noted that the company does not need special expensive mixtures for concrete printing. "We are among the first in the world capable of printing with regular concrete, which is a huge success, and thanks to this, we can print 3D elements up to twenty times cheaper than competing concrete 3D printers," he added.

According to Vránek, the inquiries so far have concerned family houses, flood barriers, and animal enclosures in zoos. Based on current negotiations, a printed upper station for one of the ski areas in the Czech Republic could be located on-site, and a helicopter would transport the printer in a container to the hill. ICE is also still committed to the plan to build a school in Žďár nad Sázavou using 3D printing, an intention announced last autumn.

ICE Industrial Services expects a turnover of around 475 million crowns this year. Since 2018, it has been part of the MTX Group led by Petr Otava.