Creating the Longest 3D-Concrete-Printed Bridge in the World: A BAM Story

Dutch contractor BAM Infra and materials company Saint-Gobain Weber Beamix have joined forces with the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) to set up Europe’s first industrial 3D-printing factory for concrete. The advantage of 3D concrete printing is that it enables the fabrication of curved, organic shapes, which are difficult to manufacture using conventional formwork. The process utilizes generative-design techniques to develop complex shapes, difficult for a human to design, but within a robot’s capabilities, resulting in material savings of 40%. The plant opened in Jan 2019 and is currently building the world’s longest 3D-printed bridge: a 28-meter, organically formed structure for the city of Nijmegen in the east of the Netherlands. Learn how 3D printing of concrete uses less material, enables freedom of design, and produces long-lasting structures with a positive impact on construction-site safety and productivity.