On Tuesday, October 17, the small Dutch town of Gemert became home to the world's first 3D-printed concrete bridge. This bridge was constructed over a small river flowing through the town, allowing for cyclists and pedestrians to pass over it.
Theo Salet, a representative of Eindhoven University of Technology, stated that although the bridge is only 26 feet across, the thing that makes it such an incredible feat is the fact that it was 3D-printed. The bridge has approximately 800 layers, and the printing process lasted for about three months with the project beginning in June.
In order to create the bridge, the team of researchers had to develop a new 3D-printing technique that uses steel reinforcement cables to create pre-stressed concrete. Using this new technique means that the cement can form any shape, since it's not limited by molds. The bridge can support up to two tons of weight, and even though it was only intended for cyclists and pedestrians, the engineers on the team stated that it could hold the weigh of about 40 trucks, as well.
The purpose of the project was to shed more light on the fact that 3D printing is arguably more environmentally friendly considering it uses fewer resources that are in demand, and less materials are wasted overall. Additionally, this bridge only deposits concrete where it's needed and doesn't waste cement. Since cement production is characterized by high carbon dioxide emissions due to the extreme heat it requires, reducing the amount of concrete needed will also reduce the carbon dioxide generated in future construction.
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