Steel IQ’s 3D-Printed Steel Could Slash Build Time

The new Lake Dallas startup Steel IQ believes that its 3D digital extrusion and printing is the sustainable future for affordable housing in America.

One of the major problems in the United States’ development pipeline is a lack of skilled construction workers. Steel IQ’s 3D printed steel frames may cost more to install, but require fewer skilled workers and cut down on framing timelines. The process uses a digital model of a building, finds its dimensions with AI assistance and prints it in steel, down to the holes for the screws, according to the Dallas Morning News. Steel IQ’s founder Nejeeb Khan told the outlet that once the frame is printed, workers can just assemble them on-site like Legos.

The one potential hitch is the cost of steel vs the cost of wood, which is more commonly used in affordable housing. It’s offset by the process itself, which reduces waste, time and the amount of workers needed on a given project, Khan told the outlet. The steel extrusion process stands to benefit the environment, too, on a pretty simple contention: it uses zero trees. Khan also claims the framing is more resistant to adverse weather conditions.

Steel IQ’s work can already be seen in one of Dallas’s priciest neighborhoods. The “Infinity” mansion at 3980 Starling Drive was recently listed for $15 million, around $1,106 per square foot. The Infinity boasts views of the Dallas Cowboys corporate headquarters, the Star, in a Frisco neighborhood notable for the amount of professional athletes that live there.

The Infinity utilized Steel IQ’s framing in its build. Reporting on the mansion’s listing noted the time that it took to assemble the frame was about four weeks, and that a more normal process would take anywhere from three to six months. The home is on track to be complete in 2027.

— Hunter Cooke