Dutch construction company Heijmans will be completing a steel bridge in the center of Amsterdam using what on paper seems like a futuristic method: with a 3D printer, robots, and steel.
The project was initiated by Dutch startup MX3D using a design by Joris Laarman, the company said in a statement.
To complete the bridge, MX3D will equip multi-axis industrial robots with 3D printing tools and develop software for the robots to print metals, plastics, and combinations of materials in a variety of formats.
“The new technique is cost-effective and scalable—more than current 3D printing methods—and offers creative robot production solutions for art, construction, and more,” the firm said.
"I strongly believe in the future of digital production and local production, in 'the new craft,'" said Laarman. "This bridge will show how 3D printing finally enters the world of large-scale, functional objects and sustainable materials while allowing unprecedented freedom of form."
Opening in September 2015 is a visitor center that will give the public access to the project’s progress. MX3D and the city of Amsterdam will announce the exact location soon.
Related Stories
Augmented Reality | Feb 17, 2016
Startup Meta unveils holographic augmented reality prototype
The startup is an underdog in the AR battle but has a range of investors and fans.
Game Changers | Feb 5, 2016
London’s ’shadowless’ towers
Using advanced design computation, a design team demonstrates how to ‘erase’ a building’s shadows.
Game Changers | Feb 4, 2016
GAME CHANGERS: 6 projects that rewrite the rules of commercial design and construction
BD+C’s inaugural Game Changers report highlights today’s pacesetting projects, from a prefab high-rise in China to a breakthrough research lab in the Midwest.
Drones | Feb 3, 2016
A new volume measurement tool makes drone imagery easier to analyze
DroneDeploy’s latest app is available for all mobile devices.
BIM and Information Technology | Jan 27, 2016
Seeing double: Dassault Systèmes creating Virtual Singapore that mirrors the real world
The virtual city will be used to help predict the outcomes of and possible issues with various scenarios.
BIM and Information Technology | Jan 26, 2016
How the Fourth Industrial Revolution will alter the globe’s workforce
The next great technological metamorphosis will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before, due to the sheer size, speed, and scope of disruption.
Great Solutions | Jan 20, 2016
Skanska’s new app helps construction teams monitor and meet environmental quality standards while renovating hospitals
App allows users to track noise, differential pressure levels, vibration, and dust
Augmented Reality | Jan 19, 2016
Will Generation Virtuals' office be a pair of glasses?
A waning need for office buildings may be on the horizon, thanks to the possibility of working remotely via new technologies like Google Cardboard, writes HDR's Rachel Park.
BIM and Information Technology | Dec 21, 2015
Laser scanning and in-shop prefabrication a boon for the WellStar Paulding Hospital
Contractor Brasfield & Gorrie’s use of BIM and prefabrication on the Hiram, Ga., hospital shows how digital tools can lead to savings, safety, and better construction.
Sponsored | BIM and Information Technology | Dec 17, 2015
How is the Value of VDC for Design Management Translating Outside the US?
Sascha Vesterlund, a VDC Specialist, Design Processer with MT Højgaard, and Nathan Wood, Innovation at DPR Construction, shared their perspectives on VDC
