The longest 3D-printed concrete bicycle bridge in the world

With a magnitude of 29 meters, the Dutch metropolis of Nijmegen present has the longest factual 3D-bicycle span successful the world. The task is unsocial due to the fact that the bicycle span has been designed with implicit state of form, acknowledgment to probe astatine Eindhoven University of Technology and the further improvement of 3D factual printing technology. The caller quality successful De Geologenstrook parkland is characterized by its circular and wavy shapes.

The bridge was printed furniture by furniture successful the factual printing mill of Saint Gobain Weber Beamix and realized by the operation radical BAM. It is not lone the longest, but besides the largest factual span successful the satellite for which the designer had implicit freedom. Michiel van der Kley was capable to enactment freely connected the plan and was not restricted by the worldly oregon accepted processes, specified arsenic factual formwork.

Because the span is not changeless everyplace and truthful the changing value of the operation had to beryllium taken into account, the prime was made to disagreement the span into printable parts. A parametric model—that means based connected data—was utilized to make the last design.

Faster and much flexible

In theory, printed bridges tin beryllium built overmuch faster than mean bridges, with much flexibility and much country for personalized designs. They are besides much sustainable, arsenic little factual is needed. The ambition of the partners successful this innovative task is for 3D factual printing to yet go a sustainable operation method that tin beryllium utilized for the accumulation of bridges and houses, among different things.

That is besides the crushed wherefore Rijkswaterstaat, unneurotic with decorator Van der Kley, took the inaugural for this project. They donated this peculiar span arsenic a imperishable reminder to the municipality of Nijmegen successful grant of its predetermination arsenic European Green Capital 2018.

For the close cognition and expertise, 2 launching partners turned to Theo Salet, an adept successful the tract of 3D printed buildings, was requested. Consultancy and engineering steadfast Witteveen+Bos translated the plan of the span into printable structural components. The parametric exemplary of the span was developed by Summum Engineering.

Salet, prof of Concrete Structures astatine TU/e, is pleased with the developments presently taking place: "The printing of factual has tremendous maturation potential. We usage little raw materials due to the fact that the factual printer lone adds worldly wherever it really supports the construction. We tin besides drastically summation the operation speed. In the future, we privation to marque factual much sustainable and besides reuse it. There is overmuch much to achieve. I americium besides arrogant that the cognition developed has recovered its mode to the manufacture truthful quickly."

---

---