Amsterdam is ‘Printing’ a Bridge

The construction of a bridge in Amsterdam would not normally be news. Katerina Ryabets reports for The Pop-Up City that the world’s first 3-D “printed” steel bridge does deserve attention. Robots would assemble the footbridge in “mid air” over one of the city’s famed canals, the article says.

The technological leap is welcome news for a city with more than 1,500 bridges. The ability to print such structures could help Amsterdam and other cities reduce construction costs and time. Dutch startup MX3D has partnered with Autodesk and Heijmans on the project. The robots are equipped with their own welding machines and can detect and correct errors instantly, Ryabets notes.

The bridge is the latest example of how 3-D printing is revolutionizing not just architecture and construction, but also urban settings. Last week, Citiscope highlighted Dubai’s plan to print an office building, another first.

Source: The Pop-Up City
This story was originally published by Citiscope, a nonprofit news outlet that covers innovations in cities around the world. More at Citiscope. org.