World’s first 3D printed bridge opens in Spain

A PARK in Madrid has made history with the installation of the world’s first 3D printed bridge.

The 40-foot project was designed at the Institute for Advanced Architecture in Catalonia with input from a team of mechanical and structural engineers, architects and council representatives.

Because 3D printers do not need any casts or moulds to print their designs, the costs of making the bridge were kept to a minimum.

The design team behind the project said the structure “reflected the complexities of nature’s forms” and its parametric design meant waste had been minimised “by recycling the raw material during manufacture.”

Successfully constructing a bridge using a 3D printer is a milestone for civil engineering as the technology has never been applied in the field, the team claim.