With Valentine\u2019s Day approaching, it\u2019s appropriate that hearts are being 3D printed around the globe. Hands are also being printed, and bridges, and fish-grabbers\u2026 honestly, it\u2019s been a pretty exciting week in the world of what\u2019s being digitally manufactured. We feel a little bad for the fish, though.<\/p>\n
The Daily Dot<\/a>\u2019s John-Michael Bond wrote about the unveiling of the world\u2019s first 3D printed bridge<\/a> which has been built in Castilla-La Mancha park in Alcobendas, Spain. The structure, designed by the The Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), was specifically inspired by complex forms found in nature, which helped to optimize the bridge\u2019s strength in proportion to the material used (micro-reinforced concrete). The final result was a 40-foot-long footbridge constructed from eight separate 3D printed parts. Appropriately, it’s pretty odd-looking as bridges go, but it\u2019s an incredibly cool application of 3D printing in the field of civil engineering.<\/p>\n