Lawmakers pressed services on 3D-printed construction as Corps, NAVFAC report pilots and limits

At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on military construction innovation, witnesses from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Command told lawmakers additive construction (commonly called 3D printing) has moved from research to limited field pilots but still requires more testing before wider use.

The Corps' director of military programs, Dave Morrow, said additive construction “has potential to reduce costs, manpower, logistics, and time” and that the Corps’ Engineering Research and Development Center (ERDC) is supporting consolidated testing to expand the technology’s allowable use. “Any innovative design solution that meets the UFC and mission requirements is acceptable,” Morrow told the panel, referring to the Unified Facilities Criteria that set technical requirements for military facilities.

Why it matters: Members cited pressure to reduce project timelines and construction cost premiums for military facilities. Committee members…