{"id":35854,"date":"2017-11-09T16:17:38","date_gmt":"2017-11-09T21:17:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=35854"},"modified":"2022-09-28T13:27:22","modified_gmt":"2022-09-28T17:27:22","slug":"3d-printed-bridges-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/3d-printed-bridges-now","title":{"rendered":"Why 3D Printed Bridges? Why Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Remember in 2014 when Chinese company Winsun printed ten houses in one day<\/a>, stunning the world? Today, three years later, 3D printed construction projects are less of a shocking reveal and more a part of everyday reality. In the last year alone, we have seen the installation of the first-ever 3D printed bridge, followed by two more 3D printed bridges, all in three different countries \u2014 and we’re being told to expect more in the near future. What’s going on? Why bridges? What is it about them that makes them prime candidates for 3D printing?<\/p>\n

\"Gemert,

Gemert, the Netherlands’ 3D printed cycling bridge<\/p><\/div>\n

3D printed construction and infrastructure projects have been executed and teased for years. Last year, the first fully 3D printed office<\/a> was erected in Dubai. And now, Winsun is collaborating with Saudi Arabia<\/a> to print over 1.5 million houses over the next five years.<\/p>\n

Bridges, however, seem to be a transitional kind of object, allowing for experimentation with 3D printing materials and designs in a challenging, but ultimately limited construction project. To see this in action, let’s take a look at how 3D printed bridges are being developed and how they are changing the scene for 3D printed construction and the construction industry at large.<\/p>\n

Just to get one thing clear, we are starting out small with these bridges. They’re essentially prototypes to help us identify and solve a lot of engineering challenges inherent in 3D printed construction. In Spain, we have a 12-meter long pedestrian bridge<\/a>. In Amsterdam and Gemert, the Netherlands, bridges<\/a> that stand at about 8 meters long. In Japan, Obayashi Corporation’s bridge<\/a> is so small a child can step across in two strides.<\/p>\n

\"Gemert,

Gemert, the Netherlands’ 3D printed cycling bridge during installation<\/p><\/div>\n

In terms of materials, bridges are a great place to start because they really only require one material \u2014 concrete. Of course, there are many ways to print out concrete. In Spain, the pedestrian bridge<\/a> was made from concrete powder that is micro-reinforced with thermoplastic polypropylene. In Gemert, the recent cycle bridge<\/a> boasts being the first bridge to be printed with steel-reinforced concrete, allowing it to support the weight of 40 trucks at a time.<\/p>\n

By applying parametric design to the pedestrian bridge in Spain<\/a>, concrete was printed only where necessary, reducing the waste, cost, and time required by traditional concrete pouring.<\/p>\n\n\t\t