Los Angeles County has issued its first building permit for a 3D-printed concrete home that includes an infrasound-based fire defense system as a voluntary protection component.
Sonic Fire Tech announced that the Sonic Home Defense system is integrated into the interior fire defense plan for a residence in the Eaton Fire rebuild zone.
Monrovia-based PCI Builders received the permit for the project which utilizes 3D-printed concrete (3DCP) technology to produce non-combustible walls.
The construction method produces the walls for a 1,500-square-foot home in approximately 12 hours.
Allison Allain, CEO of PCI Builders, explained her motivation for using new construction methods.
“The day after the fires, I began researching construction technologies that could help ensure this never happens again to my clients,” Allain said.
“We cannot simply rebuild the way we always have.
“California must build smarter, using proven technologies that make homes stronger, safer, and better prepared for the realities ahead.”
The company has secured third-party validation as a viable National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 13D-equivalent alternative to conventional residential water-based sprinklers.
This designation allows the technology to be positioned as a replacement for mandated sprinkler systems in new California single-family homes.
The system uses infrared detection to activate in milliseconds and emits low-frequency infrasound waves to disrupt the chemistry of combustion.
These waves oscillate oxygen molecules at a frequency that breaks the reaction without displacing oxygen or using water and chemicals.
Remington Hotchkis, Chief Commercialization Officer of Sonic Fire Tech, described the regulatory status.
“The question we always get is: can your system meet the same standard as a sprinkler?” Hotchkis said.
“The answer is now officially yes.
“It provides a smarter option for homeowners, who are today mandated to have sprinklers in their home.
“This third-party validation changes the conversation entirely for builders, insurers, and homeowners.”
The San Bernardino County Fire Department recently conducted a live field demonstration where the system responded to fires involving trees and grease.
Department officials stated the autonomous early detection and rapid suppression capabilities could reduce damage in wildfire-prone areas.
Firefighter Ryan Beckers noted that detecting and putting out fires while they are small helps with insurance rates.
A public showcase is scheduled for April 29 in Concord in partnership with the Contra Costa Fire Department.
The event follows previous demonstrations in Santa Barbara and Pacific Palisades.
Attendees will observe the system operating in real conditions and speak with the engineering team.
Hotchkis commented on the utility of waterless systems in high fire severity zones.
“For communities rebuilding in California’s high fire severity zones, where water infrastructure failed during the Eaton Fire response and where homes are being lost in minutes rather than hours, an interior fire defense system that works without water and responds before ignition can spread is not merely a product alternative.
“It is a true paradigm shift.”
