Dutch robotic concrete 3D printing specialist firm Vertico fabricated a scale mannequin of the DIAMANTI bridge, a cutting-edge architectural and structural prototype showcased on the 2025 Venice Biennale as a part of the Time, House, Existence exhibition organized by the European Cultural Centre.
What makes the DIAMANTI bridge distinctive is its design, know-how, and sustainability mixture. The construction includes a modular system composed of 9 particular person concrete segments, every exactly 3D printed for simple disassembly and reassembly. Its post-tensioned design is held collectively by eight ungrouted metal cables, permitting for each structural effectivity and full demountability. The bridge adopts a funicular geometry, the place load paths comply with pure compression and pressure, leading to an optimized structural kind derived from polyhedral graphic statics.
Including to its uniqueness are embedded diamond-shaped anticlastic surfaces, which improve stiffness, distribute shear masses, and cut back the amount of concrete used. This innovation results in a light-weight and sustainable building, minimizing embodied carbon and enabling full recyclability on the finish of its life cycle. The construction spans 2.5 meters with a depth of solely 26 cm, demonstrating the immense potential of digitally printed thin-shell varieties.
The Venice Biennale scale mannequin of the DIAMANTI bridge was realized by a collaborative effort between academia and trade, and dropped at life by Vertico’s superior 3D concrete printing applied sciences. It stands as a visionary instance of sustainable and progressive building.
The DIAMANTI Bridge challenge originated from a joint analysis initiative centered on making a modular, prefabricated bridge system rooted in funicular design ideas. It demonstrates a radical strategy to lowering materials use and enhancing structural efficiency by computational geometry and additive manufacturing.
The bridge contains modular segments, every fastidiously designed with anticlastic surfaces. These curved surfaces improve the construction’s total stability by stiffening the geometry and evenly distributing shear forces. Moreover, they supply elevated floor space, which helps carbonation processes that cut back the embodied carbon within the concrete.
Vertico’s contribution centered on fabricating these segments utilizing its robotic 3D printing system. Using a classy multi-component cement combine developed in collaboration with Sika, the workforce might create the complicated geometries with out conventional molds. The 2K printing system was pivotal in reaching the precision and floor high quality required for the bridge’s intricate kind.
The bridge segments had been assembled utilizing an progressive post-tensioning technique with ungrouted metal cables. This strategy enabled the dry meeting of the 9 components right into a cohesive, load-bearing construction. Importantly, this technique additionally makes the bridge totally demountable on the finish of its service life, permitting for easy materials separation and recycling.
One in every of Diamanti’s standout options is its sustainable strategy to materials utilization. The challenge considerably reduces concrete consumption and minimizes waste by tailoring the 3D printed components to align with particular load paths and integrating inner voids for stiffness. The modular nature of the bridge additionally helps reusability and adaptableness in several contexts.
A broad community of collaborators contributed to DIAMANTI’s realization. The design and structural engineering workforce, led by Prof. Dr. Masoud Akbarzadeh, included researchers Amir Motavaselian, Dr. Maximilian E. Ororbia, Hua Chai, Yefan Zhi, Teng Teng, Pouria Vakhshouri, and Dr. Mathias Bernhard from the College of Pennsylvania. Sika Group in Switzerland, represented by Karolina Pajak, Leon Trousset, Severin Mueller, Mylene Bernard, and Fabrice Decroix, supplied experience in materials improvement. Vertico dealt with the 3D printing, whereas Carsey 3D managed the bodily fabrication and meeting.
AEVIA executed post-tensioning, and the Superior Constructing Building Lab at Metropolis School of New York, led by Prof. Dr. Damon Bolhassani and Dr. Fahimeh Yavartanoo, supported structural evaluation. CERIB in France carried out the load testing, and materials calibration was undertaken by Prof. Dr. Joseph Yost and Javier Tapia of Villanova College. Paul Kassabian and Blaise Waligun supplied extra help.
