China creates their first 3D printed bridges

The School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Tongji University in Shanghai has created the first 3D printed pedestrian bridges in China. The two bridges were made of plastic and measure 11 meters and 4 meters long.

With China’s latest adventure in 3D printing, they thus join the ranks of other countries who have incorporated 3D printed bridges into their cityscapes: The 3D printed concrete bridge in Spain and the 3D printed steel bridge in the Netherlands. Created under the “Shanghai Digital Future”, a project that is being led by the school, the school is hoping to highlight how technologies today can revolutionize architecture and construction.

Their first bridge measures 11-meters long, includes stairs and extends over a river within a garden. Their second bridge measures 4-meters long and is less intricate, as it is flat and only covers the water.