A supermarket currently under construction in Neubulach, Germany, is being billed as the world's first full-scale supermarket built using 3D concrete printing.
The 1,700 m2 site will feature more than 1,300 m2 of printed wall area, with around 292 cubic metres of concrete used. The structural wall shell was completed in around four weeks, with mobile printers producing walls up to seven metres high. Conventional elements, including columns and ring beams, are incorporated alongside the printed structure.
The project, which will become a Netto Marken-Discount store, also combines 3D printing with Heidelberg Materials’ evoZero near-zero cement, produced using carbon capture and storage. The captured CO₂ from the cement plant in Norway is permanently stored beneath the seabed.
The development points to a potential new approach to supermarket construction, particularly where retailers need standardised buildings delivered quickly while reducing the carbon footprint of the construction.