The Dutch city of Nijmegen has unveiled what is reportedly the world’s longest 3D printed concrete pedestrian bridge, spanning a length of 29 meters.
The project was undertaken byRijkswaterstaat, the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, and designer Michiel van der Kley, in honor of Nijmegen’s election as a European Green Capital in 2018.
合作伙伴turned toTU Eindhovenand consultancy and engineering firmWitteveen+Bos为了将3D打印的桥梁带入成果，然后由建筑公司制造BAMandWeber Beamixin the latter’s concrete printing factory.
尼加梅根市议会的Alderman Bert Velthuis说：“ Nijmegen市很荣幸获得这座创新的3D印刷桥。”“我们是一个桥梁城市，这座特殊的创新桥是一个很棒的补充。桥导致连接：在设计和施工阶段，它连接了不同的合作伙伴，从现在开始，桥梁连接了我们的居民。”
与AM的设计自由
合作伙伴first announced details of the bridge projectback in April, and revealed their intention to break the world record for the longest 3D printed bridge which, until now, had been held byTsinghua Universityfor its 86-foot concrete bridge in Shanghai.
The project sought to utilize concrete 3D printing technology to provide van der Kley with complete freedom of form for the bridge’s design. Without being restricted by material choices or the limitations of traditional processes such as concrete formwork, van der Kley was able to design the bridge to absorb different forces in various places, while adding a more personalized touch.
To realize van der Kley’s vision, Witteveen+Bos translated the bridge’s design into 3D printable structural components. Based on this data, a parametric model created by Summum Engineering was then used to generate the final design of the bridge. The model conformed the original design to a set of structural constraints, segmented it based on printing specifications developed by TU Eindhoven, and generated an optimized internal geometry for the bridge.
“I found it especially important to show where we stand with 3D printing technology,” said van der Kley. “The design is inspired by a shape that arises in nature because it has to absorb a certain force in the most efficient way, and now translated into a digital process.
“使用这种形状，我们使混凝土物体的3D打印再次更有趣。”
展示可持续建筑技术
该项目的重大目标是展示使用混凝土3D打印方法不仅生产桥梁的设计和可持续性优势，还可以展示房屋和其他建筑物。
3D printed bridges can be constructed much faster than those built via conventional methods, and also require less concrete. It is these factors, according to the project partners, that makes concrete 3D printing technology an attractive technique for future construction projects in terms of sustainability and freedom of design.
“The printing of concrete has enormous growth potential,” said Theo Salet, Professor of Concrete Structures at TU Eindhoven. “We use less raw materials and can drastically increase the construction speed. In the future, we want to make concrete more sustainable and also reuse it. There is much more to achieve. I am also proud that the knowledge developed has found its way to the industry so quickly.”
一旦桥梁的设计完成了最终确定，韦伯·贝米克斯（Weber Beamix）在埃因霍温（Eindhoven）的混凝土印刷厂进行了建设。该桥是使用BAM的混凝土3D打印技术打印的，然后通过现场组装组装。
桥梁总共跨越29米，据报道，世界上最长的3D印刷混凝土行人桥的头衔。这座桥是昨天9月8日正式开放的。
Saint Gobain Weber Benelux的首席执行官Bas Huysmans补充说：“这种3D生产技术可节省高达50％的材料，因为打印机仅在结构强度需要的地方沉积混凝土。”“ 3D技术正在成熟，并且正成为更快，更可持续和更便宜的自行车和行人桥的认真选择。”
3D printed bridge construction
Compared to conventional construction, concrete 3D printing yields substantial cost and lead time benefits, thus the technology is increasingly being used to build structures such as bridges, viaducts, and even commercial buildings.
因此，该技术最近已用于多个桥梁建设计划。一个这样的项目是由一个包括建筑材料专家的财团进行的Lafargeholcim和大规模3 d印刷公司XtreeE. The consortium has been tasked with designing and building a40米的行人行人天桥由巴黎的3D印刷结构混凝土制成，为2024年奥运会做准备。
最近，ETH Zurich’s Block Research Groupsuccessfully 3D printed a concrete footbridge that required no steel or mortar reinforcement. Using significantly less concrete, the bridge was built by leveraging robotic 3D concrete printing to directly print the structural blocks.
Subscribe to the3D打印行业通讯for the latest news in additive manufacturing. You can also stay connected by following us on推特并喜欢我们Facebook。
Looking for a career in additive manufacturing? Visit3D打印作业在行业中选择一系列角色。
订阅我们YouTube channelfor the latest 3D printing video shorts, reviews and webinar replays.
Featured image showsNijmegen的“世界最长”的3D印刷混凝土桥。通过Nijmegen/Michiel van der Kley的市政当局。
