15. 4. 2026
2026
3DCP
Every new technology gradually earns the trust of both the general public and investors. 3D concrete printing is no exception. Yet 3D printing offers significant cost savings, particularly for standardized products.
The Klokan shopping center in Žilina is the first in Slovakia where waste management shelters were constructed using 3D concrete printing. As the general contractor, HSF System oversaw the production of six nearly identical shelters, which now serve as a proven prototype for other shopping centers and retail parks.
“This technology is ideal precisely for repetitive elements. We are currently negotiating further deliveries. With 3D printing technology, we are able to produce these structures very quickly and practically anywhere,” says HSF System CEO Tomáš Kosa.
3D printing can be treated like any other prefabricated product
Designing a functional 3D-printed building element that meets the specific needs of a project is currently the most challenging phase of the entire process. However, once the first prototype is available, producing additional identical parts is a matter of a few hours, depending on their size.
Although 3D concrete printing may seem exotic at first glance, in practice it is handled similarly to conventional prefabricated elements. Compared to them, however, 3D printing offers significantly greater flexibility. Individual elements can be easily customized according to the client’s specific requirements and can even be printed directly on-site.
A car wash printed in just a few days
3D concrete printing technology was also used at the OC Klokan shopping center in Žilina for the construction of a car wash. The individual structural components were produced at the facilities of the subsidiary Coral Construction Technologies in Žďár nad Sázavou. After being transported to the construction site in Žilina, they were reinforced with steel bars and filled with concrete. Using this template, the same car wash can be printed in a very short time and subsequently assembled virtually anywhere.
The goal for the future is to create a wide range of standardized elements and structures that can be easily integrated into standard projects. 3D printing technology enables the production of individual infill parts as well as entire self-supporting structures. HSF System is currently in discussions regarding the implementation of a 3D-printed facility for the Garbe project in Pohořelice, which could expand the range of printed structures. Generally speaking, the more the same elements are repeated across various projects, the greater the efficiency this technology delivers.
At the same time, however, 3D printing also finds application in individual projects. In such cases, however, the time and costs involved may be comparable to conventional construction methods. The main added value, however, lies in the unique architectural and structural solutions and, compared to conventional construction, lower demands on human resources.