22 May 2023 3D Building Construction at Camp Mabry
22 May 2023 3D Building Construction at Camp Mabry
Camp Mabry, Austin, Texas
Our chapter president, COL (Ret) Garry Patterson, and our VP for Industry Outreach, COL (Ret) Brian Cook, attended a special event to highlight new and innovative building construction for the Texas Army National Guard at Camp Mabry.
The Texas Military Department, in coordination with a local firm, ICON, Inc. is building a 3D printed building on the grounds of historic Camp Mabry. The construction consists of a new Training & Innovation Center through the use of 3D Printing equipment designed, programed, and operated by ICON. This was a quintessential example of defense innovation and the collaboration of Texas Military Department, Defense Innovation Unit, and AFWERX, alongside with ICON, Inc.
We were excited to participate and watch the construction industry's future right here in our own backyard! The Texas Army National Guard engineering units poured the foundation slabs with troop labor to support this project. The Texas Military Department has worked with ICON in the past to build a 3D barrack building at the Camp Swift Training Site in Bastrop, TX. This new technology has demonstrated that it reduces construction time and cost from conventional construction methods.