In the Netherlands, a bridge capable of supporting 40 trucks was printed on a 3D printer

The world's first 3D-printed bridge for cyclists has been opened in the city of Gemert in the south of the Netherlands. The structure was made in the laboratory of the Technical University of Eindhoven together with the Dutch construction company BAM Infra. The work began in June 2017 and took three months.

Source: BAM Infra

The length of the structure is 8 meters, the width is 3.5 meters, and the weight is 800 tons.

The bridge consists of 800 centimeter layers of concrete reinforced with a steel cable, so there was no need to knit a reinforcing mesh during construction.

Thanks to 3D printing, it was not necessary to make a formwork — a structure that gives shape to the mortar.

The bridge is able to withstand the weight of 40 trucks. After installation, it was tested with a 5-ton load, which is much higher than the possible real one.

The planned service life of the bridge is more than 30 years. The university plans to print residential buildings and other structures out of concrete.