Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) has a massive 3D printer capable of printing immense objects – and it’s currently creating the world’s first 3D-printed reinforced concrete bridge. The bridge will be installed this month in the small Dutch town of Gemert, and it will be the first of its kind with an innovative printing technique that reduces waste.
Technically, Madrid introduced the world’s first 3D-printed bridge earlier this year – but the Gemert bridge will be built using a special process that reinforces the concrete layers with steel cables as the concrete blocks are formed. This technique – which was developed by a team of researchers working with Teho Salat, a professor of concrete construction – ensures that the bridge’s concrete is “pre-stressed” in order to avoid the typical tensile stress that often occurs in concrete construction.
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