Fort Bliss Opens First 3D-Printed Barracks for 560 Troops

The Army's 3D-Printed Barracks Are Now Occupied

Fort Bliss officially opened its first 3D-printed barracks on July 28, marking a tangible shift in how the military thinks about construction. Two buildings are ready now, and eight more should finish by September. When all 10 are online, the base can house up to 560 soldiers in open-bay units built by Austin-based ICON.

The project cost about $62.8 million. The Army Corps of Engineers set traditional construction benchmarks, and the 3D-printed route beat those costs by 9.3%. More importantly, it delivered the buildings four times faster than conventional methods. The printing phase for all 10 buildings took 58 days, and the contract-to-delivery timeline stretched to roughly nine months.

Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, commander of Fort Bliss and the 1st Armored Division, said the project is not just about speed or savings. "It is about combat readiness, and most importantly, it is about taking care of our people," he told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting. Troops assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border will move into the new barracks soon.

ICON already built similar barracks for a Texas National Guard training site in 2021, and the company is printing more at Fort Polk in Louisiana. The Army clearly likes what it sees: faster build times, lower costs, and structures that can stand up to the elements.