The concept of 3D printing is amazing. Being able to “print” out your creations sounds ideal as it lets people come up with all kinds of unique ideas that would have otherwise been harder to create normally, and take longer. For example earlier this year we saw how the US Marines have taken 3D printing technology to construct concrete barracks in 40 hours, a job that would have otherwise taken 5 days to complete.
Now over in the Netherlands, the team at MX3D have announced that their 3D printed steel bridge is now ready for installation, where it is expected to be installed in Amsterdam following the Dutch Design Week which will take place at the end of the month. Interestingly enough this is actually not the first 3D printed bridge in the Netherlands, where last year a concrete bridge for cyclists was 3D printed as well.
Now this particular bridge won’t be just a regular bridge. The team at MX3D have partnered up with the UK’s Alan Turing Institute where the bridge will come installed with a host of sensors. These sensors will help collect data on the bridge, such as structural integrity, traffic, and more, all of which will help them monitor it for any potential safety issues. It is believed that this data could be used in the future for designing similar bridges.