Dutch partnership constructs 3D printed composite pedestrian bridges

Source (All Images) | Kees van IJselmuijdenKees 

Architectural firm Atelier Dutch (Putten, Gelderland) in partnership with engineering consulting firm Royal HaskoningDHV (Amersfoort, Netherlands) and the municipality of Gemeente Putten, have developed a 3D printed fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) bridge.

The project was initiated to provide two pedestrian bridges connecting an existing wooded bank in a new housing estate, Rimpeler, which has approximately 350 homes. Royal HaskoningDHV, which has been researching 3D printed bridges for a number of years, saw this as an opportunity to construct one using these fabrication methods.
 

The final product consists of 70% industrial waste (PET-G) and 30% glass fiber and was printed using CEAD’s (Delft, Netherlands) 3D printing technologies by toolmaker Nedcam (Heerenveen, Netherlands). Atelier Dutch designed the bridge’s intricate, 3D printed handrail. Notably, the final product is recyclable — at the bridges’ end of life, their material can be shredded down and printed again, and Nedcam often recycles this material for boat molds, among other applications. Moreover, due to its low weight, it is easy to move.

Timmer-GWW (Nijkerk) installed the bridge, and it was opened in April 2024 by alderman Bertus Cornelissen. Next steps including scaling up 3D printed bridge construction, especially with the larger printers that are now available.

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