Bengaluru: country’s first 3D-printed post office

3D printing technology will be used for Bengaluru’s first post office; a building of 1,100sqft. Larsen & Toubro, which has experience in creating 3D-printed buildings, is implementing the project at Cambridge Layout in Ulsoor.

The Ulsoor Bazaar post office is being relocated to Cambridge Layout in order to decrease construction costs, according to S Rajendra Kumar, chief postmaster general of the Karnataka circle. Because of the technology intervention, the building is estimated to cost 30-40% less than conventional constructions at a total cost of Rs 23 lakh.

Kumar said that they are primarily interested in using 3D printing technology to construct post offices with low-cost construction options since they feel that this is the technology for the future. It could also spark interest in low-cost homes, which is a secondary concern for Kumar. The basic structure is expected to be completed in 15 days while the entire building will take about a month to build without asking the builders to rush the process.

Karnataka's postal administration is also considering building post offices on 400 sites where postal services are currently unavailable. The current project is a challenge for gaining experience with 3D printing technology. Furthermore, the department has hired a technical expert from IIT-Madras to oversee the construction of the structure.