Walmart, the largest retail chain in the world, plans to open its second 3D printed store expansion, created utilising 3D concrete printing technology, on May 9 at Supercenter #5197 in Huntsville, Alabama. The 5,000-square-foot structure, which will function as a specialised online grocery pickup and delivery station, was built in collaboration between Colorado-based Alquist 3D and general contractor FMGI. This comes after Walmart’s first 3D printed extension, an 8,000-square-foot facility completed last year in Athens, Tennessee.
The construction of Walmart’s 3D printed expansion in Huntsville showcases significant advancements in commercial building techniques. The 16-foot-tall concrete walls were printed in just 75 hours over a seven-day period, dramatically reducing construction time compared to traditional building methods that typically require several weeks to complete similar structures.
Huntsville 3D Printed Store Expansion
The Huntsville project exemplifies how 3D concrete printing can improve commercial construction deadlines and resource needs. A similar structure would generally take at least three weeks and a team of 20-30 workers to complete using traditional cement masonry unit (CMU) construction methods. In comparison, the Walmart extension was built by a five-person crew using two robotic printing equipment.
“This second project clearly demonstrates how retail expansions can be faster, more cost-effective and less wasteful, paving the way for broader adoption for large-scale commercial builds.”
– Patrick Callahan, CEO of Alquist 3D
The construction process made use of specialised equipment from RIC Technology, which provided innovative robotic technologies developed for high-precision concrete printing. These robots built the structure’s walls layer by layer based on digital blueprints, while Sika USA delivered customised concrete mixtures according to the project’s environmental circumstances and performance needs.
Benefits for Walmart
Beyond shorter building deadlines, the Walmart expansion in Huntsville highlighted several other advantages of 3D concrete printing technology. According to the building team, the printing approach decreased material waste by about 55%, with the project requiring only 75% of the supplied concrete.
Another big advantage became apparent as construction continued despite inclement weather, which would normally cause traditional building methods to be delayed. This tolerance to external conditions helped to the project’s completion ahead of schedule, highlighting one of the technology’s practical benefits for commercial applications.
“These 3D concrete printing tests aim to evaluate alternative techniques to traditional construction, while maximizing sustainability. Our approach to innovation is designed to optimize processes and simplify field operations—leading to reductions in project costs and timelines.”
– LB Johnson, VP of Construction at Walmart
The construction site also provided improved safety conditions due to the elimination of scaffolding and other high-risk infrastructure commonly associated with building walls of this height. When combined with decreased staff requirements, these safety advancements provide significant operational advantages over traditional building methods.
Efficiency Gains From First Project to Second Implementation
The Huntsville enlargement represents a significant improvement over Walmart’s initial 3D printed addition in Athens, Tennessee. While the Tennessee project, finished in late 2024, required 45 days of printing for an 8,000-square-foot structure, the Alabama project’s 75-hour printing time for a 5,000-square-foot extension shows significant efficiency gains in less than a year.
Zachary Mannheimer, founder and chairman of Alquist 3D, noted the evolution between projects: “Our first 3D concrete printed Walmart expansion in Tennessee was the proof-of-concept that building at a larger scale in less-than-ideal conditions is not just theoretically possible but also commercially viable. The second project, built on key learnings from the first, proves the technology can thrive in real-world, high-demand commercial environments.”
These developments indicate that 3D concrete printing for commercial construction is rapidly moving from experimental to practical applications. The lessons learnt from the first project allowed the team to reduce downtime and optimise the printing process for the second location, setting new efficiency standards for commercial 3D printed structures.
Will Walmart continue Concrete 3D Printing Expansion?
Walmart’s continuous investment in 3D printing-based stores demonstrates increased trust in the technology’s feasibility for commercial uses. Walmart, one of the world’s largest retailers, with over 10,500 locations in 19 countries, might have a huge impact on the retail building business.
The completion of two projects in a year implies that 3D printed construction for retail facilities may be moving past the prototype stage and into mainstream adoption. If the Huntsville location performs similarly or better than the Tennessee expansion, it could affect future Walmart facility construction decisions as well as building standards across the retail industry.
Walmart has joined a small but increasing list of large corporations who are using 3D concrete printing for commercial building. Starbucks recently opened its first 3D printed location in Brownsville, Texas, pointing to a possible shift in commercial building practices across many retail sectors.
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