Facultad de Ingeniería - Pontificia Universidad Javeriana

IMP3D:
Earthquake-Resistant 3D-Printed Housing with Local Soils and Recycled Materials

Overview

IMP3D is an innovative project led by Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ) in partnership with UNDP Colombia and WASP Italy, aimed at developing a low-carbon, seismic-resistant construction system using 3D printing with local soils and recycled materials. The project integrates advanced research, digital fabrication, and community participation, bringing sustainable and inclusive housing solutions to vulnerable regions of Latin America.

“IMP3D transforms traditional earthen construction into a high-tech, evidence-based, and socially engaged solution.”

Objectives

Develop and validate a 3D-printed construction system for seismic-resistant earthen structures.
Use local and recycled materials to minimize the carbon footprint.
Build technical and social capacity through technology transfer and community participation.
Establish international standards for sustainable earthen construction.

Field Implementation

Yezid Alvarado and Juan Martin
(In Memoriam)

Daniel Mauricio Ruiz

PUJ Team with wall in printing process

On site assembly of 3D printer

In collaboration with WASP (World’s Advanced Saving Project) and UNDP, the first pilot phase took place in a socially vulnerable community in northern South America, where the PUJ and WASP teams successfully assembled the 3D printer, conducted on-site training, and printed the first structural “Parenthesis Wall” prototypes.

Featured Videos

Initial laboratory tests carried out to study inks made from soils. At small scale, different mixtures of soil, water, fibers, and other components were analyzed to improve the material’s properties.

Professor Hermes Vacca and Parentheses Wall

Engineer Jorge Carrasco and Parentheses Wall

Research and Structural Innovation in Earthquake-resistant system

With nearly two decades of research on the seismic behavior of earthen buildings, the Structures and Construction Research Group at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana has established itself as a national reference, contributing to Colombia’s AIS 610 guidelines for earthen structures.

Building on this solid foundation, IMP3D aims to transform 3D-printed earthen construction into a validated seismic-resistant structural system, scientifically tested and engineered for safety and resilience. The project also seeks to lay the groundwork for a future construction code that regulates 3D-printed earthen housing in seismic zones, ensuring that innovation is aligned with technical rigor and public safety.

Impact Targets

Climate: Lower embodied CO₂ via local soils, recycled stabilizers, and zero-formwork printing.
Seismic Safety: Engineered earthen systems with validated performance.
Inclusion: Community training, local jobs, and culturally resonant design

Why IMP3D

The need: The built environment is responsible for a large share of energy-related CO₂. In many seismic regions, non-engineered buildings collapse, causing preventable losses.
Our response: Replace carbon-intensive materials with printable earthen mixes reinforced with recycled components; validate seismic performance; create an implementable code; build pilots with communities.

What We Do

Materials & Process: Local soils + recycled stabilizers → printable “ink;” precision extrusion; zero formwork; low waste.
Structural Validation: In-plane/out-of-plane tests, cyclic loading, and full-scale shaking-table experiments inform performance-based design.
Standardization: Draft Material Specification & Quality Control Guideline and Construction Code for Earthquake-Resistant 3D-Printed Earthen Buildings.
Community Implementation: Training, on-site printing, and co-creation with vulnerable communities.

Strategic Partners

WASP - Italy

Technological partner and developer of the 3D printing system

United Nations Development Programme

Field implementation and social integration.

Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ, Colombia)

Scientific and academic leadership.

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The video and the house are owned by the WASP company

Impact and Future Vision

IMP3D demonstrates that affordability does not have to imply vulnerability. By harnessing digital manufacturing and local materials, it paves the way for scalable, resilient, and environmentally responsible housing in seismic regions worldwide.