World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge opens in Amsterdam

The world’s first 3D printed steel bridge has opened to the public in Amsterdam.

The pedestrian bridge is a result of a multi-disciplinary team of experts collaborating on the future design of public spaces.

It was printed by robotic arms and equipped with an innovative sensor network, linked to a digital twin computer model that monitors its performance in real-time.

This means that everyone who walks, runs, or cycles over the bridge will generate data, which will help to monitor the bridge’s structure and provide information about how it’s being used.

As a new material, safety is crucial. The in-built sensors will constantly gather data on strain, displacement, vibration, air quality and temperature.

This data will be used to create the digital twin of the bridge, which can then predict how the structure will behave as the bridge is used. This will allow maintenance needs to be highlighted at the earliest opportunity, and also help engineers understand how 3D printed steel might be used for larger scale and more complex building projects.

The Alan Turing Institute’s data-centric engineering (DCE) programme has been integral to the bridge’s development, with researchers undertaking the materials testing and designing the digital twin, incorporating Autodesk’s software.

They have teamed up with 3D printing company MX3D and Joris Laarman Labs, which designed and built the bridge.

DCE programme director Mark Girolami the team is “incredibly excited” about the project.

“Not only is it a stunning design, but with the sensors inbuilt into the fabric of the bridge it is also pioneering ground-breaking digital twin technologies,” he said.

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