Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments

SoylentNews is people

posted by martyb on Saturday September 14 2019, @01:12AM   Printer-friendly
from the vandalism-proof-sensors?-Good-luck-with-that! dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow2718

World's first metal 3-D-printed bridge enters test phase

September 12, 2019

World's first metal 3-D-printed bridge enters test phase

The Netherlands will be testing the first metal 3-D-printed bridge in the world. Plans are to insert this bridge in its permanent location in Amsterdam at the start of 2020. The Dutch company MX3D produced the bridge after a design by Joris Laarman Lab in collaboration with lead engineer Arup. They used ground-breaking robot technology for 3-D printing. The bridge is remarkable thanks to both the revolutionary production method and its innovative design process. University of Twente, together with Imperial College London, will carry out the final construction tests. The bridge arrived by special transport at the UT campus and is placed near the de Horst building.

Initial testing will be on the total load-carrying capacity of the bridge to safeguard safety and functionality. The test will be supervised by Imperial College London. The bridge will remain at the campus for a further two months after the month planned for construction testing. University of Twente will work closely and actively with MX3D, Autodesk and Arup during this period, for the design, development and testing of the permanent sensor network to be installed on the bridge. MX3D and Autodesk are highly encouraging of creative and groundbreaking ideas for various aspects of the sensor network. This includes ideas for the types of sensors that could be incorporated in the network, safe and vandalism-proof sensors, data collection/communication/analysis, etc.


Original Submission

 
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.
Display Options Threshold/Breakthrough Mark All as Read Mark All as Unread
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
  • (Score: 2) by rigrig on Saturday September 14 2019, @12:47PM (2 children)

    by rigrig (5129) Subscriber Badge <soylentnews@tubul.net> on Saturday September 14 2019, @12:47PM (#894047) Homepage

    Triumph of form over function implies making it look good interferes with its function, but this looks like a perfectly fine bridge to walk across.
    I thin that's kind of the point: if you're going to 3D print a bridge you can give it any shape you like, so might as well make it look pretty.

    --
    No one remembers the singer.
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 14 2019, @01:21PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday September 14 2019, @01:21PM (#894051)

    > might as well make it look pretty.

    The first time I crossed that bridge, it was kind of fun, but after awhile, it was just a bridge...

    Minimal material for the same short span would probably be some kind of truss? I'm guessing that some of the first truss bridges were considered artistic marvels too, but these days they look pretty dated.

  • (Score: 2) by Username on Sunday September 15 2019, @11:04AM

    by Username (4557) on Sunday September 15 2019, @11:04AM (#894298)

    Did you not see the big holes?