World’s First 3D Printed Steel Bridge

Neenu July 23, 2021

The first 3D printed steel bridge was constructed across the Oudezijds Achterburgwal canal in Amsterdam, which if not mentioned, would look like a regular bridge unit. This 3D bridge is a product of additive manufacturing, which unlike usual 3D printing projects, steel is used for printing. In usual 3D printing proprietary inks or a starting material is used.

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The construction of bridge was initiated in 2015 and completed by the collaborative efforts of MX3D, a Dutch startup focusing on 3D metal printing, researchers at Imperial College London, and The Alan Turing Institute.

World’s First 3D Printed Steel Bridge Installation

Features

The 3D printed steel bridge was constructed using multi-axis robots in order to heat the steel to 2,732 degree F.
It was constructed layer by layer
The bridge has a span of 12 m and weighs around 10000 pounds of stainless steel
The bridge is equipped with multiple sensors that enables data collection of strain and vibration of people using it under different weather conditions.
The data help researchers to understand the behavior of the bridge over a time period.
The sensors helps to identify the areas that will require maintenance, modifications, which can be used for the construction of large projects.
The bridge was opened for pedestrians and cyclists.