Hyderabad: It took just five days and a total printing time of 14 hours to build what is being touted as the world’s highest ever on-site 3D-printed military bunker in Leh. This feat was executed by the Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IIT-H), along with Hyderabad-based Simpliforge Creations and the Indian Army.
This marks the world’s highest-ever in-situ 3D construction printing feat to be accomplished under extreme high altitude and low oxygen (HALO) conditions.
The bunker, 3D printed at an extremely high altitude of 11,000 ft above sea level amid low oxygen conditions (HALO), is also India’s first on-site 3D printed protective military structure.
It was built using locally sourced materials as part of Project Prabal, which showcases homegrown technology and academia-industry collaboration. This was done under the guidance of IIT-H’s Prof KVL Subramaniam, with the Indian Army being represented by Arun Krishnan, who is doing his PhD at IIT-H.
According to Prof Subramaniam, the most critical aspect was the development of specially engineered materials that could perform under extreme environmental conditions. “Operating at high altitudes with low oxygen levels, low humidity, and significant thermal variations required not just structural innovation, but also innovation in material science. Our team, along with Simpliforge Creations, designed a concrete mix that could be 3D printed on-site while offering superior mechanical performance, durability, and resilience,” he said.
However, before deploying the material in Leh, it underwent rigorous testing at IIT-H. “Understanding the material’s behaviour under simulated environmental stresses allowed us to optimise the mix design for on-site usage,” Prof Subramaniam added.
Pointing out that executing the project was a huge operational challenge for both the men and machines involved in the exercise, Simpliforge Creations CEO Dhruv Gandhi said: “The reduced oxygen levels affected everything from the performance of the power systems, which were delivering lower energy output than they would on the plains, to human efficiency. The low humidity and high UV also posed challenges to the integrity of the built material. The robotic printer system was set up and commissioned in under 24 hours.”
The deployment of this first-of-its-kind 3D printed bunker paves the way for the rapid deployment of on-site infrastructure in challenging terrains in a short period of time, beefing up India’s defence preparedness, IIT-H said.
This marks the world’s highest-ever in-situ 3D construction printing feat to be accomplished under extreme high altitude and low oxygen (HALO) conditions.
The bunker, 3D printed at an extremely high altitude of 11,000 ft above sea level amid low oxygen conditions (HALO), is also India’s first on-site 3D printed protective military structure.
It was built using locally sourced materials as part of Project Prabal, which showcases homegrown technology and academia-industry collaboration. This was done under the guidance of IIT-H’s Prof KVL Subramaniam, with the Indian Army being represented by Arun Krishnan, who is doing his PhD at IIT-H.
According to Prof Subramaniam, the most critical aspect was the development of specially engineered materials that could perform under extreme environmental conditions. “Operating at high altitudes with low oxygen levels, low humidity, and significant thermal variations required not just structural innovation, but also innovation in material science. Our team, along with Simpliforge Creations, designed a concrete mix that could be 3D printed on-site while offering superior mechanical performance, durability, and resilience,” he said.
However, before deploying the material in Leh, it underwent rigorous testing at IIT-H. “Understanding the material’s behaviour under simulated environmental stresses allowed us to optimise the mix design for on-site usage,” Prof Subramaniam added.
Pointing out that executing the project was a huge operational challenge for both the men and machines involved in the exercise, Simpliforge Creations CEO Dhruv Gandhi said: “The reduced oxygen levels affected everything from the performance of the power systems, which were delivering lower energy output than they would on the plains, to human efficiency. The low humidity and high UV also posed challenges to the integrity of the built material. The robotic printer system was set up and commissioned in under 24 hours.”
The deployment of this first-of-its-kind 3D printed bunker paves the way for the rapid deployment of on-site infrastructure in challenging terrains in a short period of time, beefing up India’s defence preparedness, IIT-H said.
