The world’s first 3D print steel bridge was launched in Amsterdam

After four working years, the first 3D steel structure printed in the world has been disclosed in Amsterdam. The new 3D printed steel footbridge was made with the help of the London Imperial College and placed in the Amsterdam center in the location nicknamed “Living Laboratory.” The bridge was launched for the first time this month by Majesty Queen Máxima from the Netherlands. This bridge displays a sensor network installed inside which will allow researchers at London Imperial College to measure, monitor, and analyze the bridge performance from time to time.

The structure is 12 meters long and will handle pedestrian traffic. Data collected using sensors enables engineers and researchers to measure the health of the bridge in real-time and monitor how it changes for its age. Sensors will also help researchers understand how the public interacts with a 3D print structure.

The researchers planned to retrieve data collected by the sensor and put it into a digital clone bridge in a computer simulation. The simulation bridge will be able to increase accuracy in real-time because more sensor data is entered. The aim is to use data to help answer long-term behavior questions about 3D print steel and use data in real-world settings for similar construction projects in the future.

It’s been a long process of getting a unique bridge from the concept stage to become a real world object. Imperial College conducts research and validation in the underlying method used in the project. Including testing destructive strength on print elements, sophisticated digital twin computer simulations, non-destructive real world testing on bridges, and the development of sophisticated sensor networks to monitor bridges in their lives.

The project marked the first time the metal structure printed 3D was quite large and strong enough to handle pedestrian traffic was made. Scientists are now looking forward to continuing work on the project while moving from the research phase to investigate its long-term behavior.