3D printed bridge
In Spain, the first pedestrian bridge printed in 3D in the world (3DBRIDGE) was inaugurated 14th of December of 2016 in the urban park of Castilla-La Mancha in Alcobendas, Madrid.
The 3DBUILD technology used was developed by ACCIONA, who was in charge of the structural design, material development and manufacturing of 3D printed elements. The bridge has a total length of 12 m and a width of 1.75 m, and was printed in micro-reinforced concrete.
Architectural design was done by Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC). The 3D printer used to build the footbridge was manufactured by D-Shape.
The 3D printed bridge was developed through parametric design, which allows the optimisation of material distribution and minimises the amount of waste by recycling the raw material during manufacture. The computational design also allows the structural performance to be maximised, thanks to the application of generative algorithms and challenging the traditional techniques of construction.
The project, led by ACCIONA, was developed by a multidisciplinary team of architects, mechanical engineers, structural engineers and representatives of the municipal administration, among them Enrico Dini, an expert inventor in large-scale 3D manufacturing and IAAC collaborator.
Content and images courtesy of IAAC.
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Can net zero and levelling-up align?
Gaining green support from the carbon giants.
Medieval passageways with spiritual, transport and economic purposes.
CIOB applauded for people management leadership
Organisation receives accreditation from Investors in People.
Receive the Designing Buildings newsletter
Click the button to subscribe.
The importance of successful crisis messaging
Communicating the right information at the right time.
Angular selective shading systems
Materials can take on different properties to control heat and glare.
Challenges in the construction sector and beyond.
Exploring brick and timber construction techniques.
On wheels or on platforms, micro dwellings are popping up everywhere.
Electrical safety in the private rented sector
Landlords must now comply with new repair regulations.
Check out our A-Z of equality, diversity and inclusion.
We now have more than 12,000 articles
You can add articles and help improve knowledge in the construction industry.
Ayo Sokale explains the struggles of being neurodiverse.
Communities, heritage and architecture. Book review.
The voluntary sector continues to shape the debate.
Comments
The bridge is certainly horrible