Poly Merchandise, a Dutch firm specializing in composite processing, has developed a modular bridge that reuses a decommissioned wind turbine blade as its main girder. The construction, now put in in Almere, was created as a part of the Round Viaduct program led by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Administration, which helps pilot initiatives for round infrastructure throughout the Netherlands.
The bridge was developed in cooperation with Antea Group, an engineering consultancy; GKB Group, which focuses on floor, highway, and waterway infrastructure; and the Amsterdam College of Utilized Sciences. The idea emerged after a go to to Eneco’s decommissioning operations on the Herkingen Wind Farm. Blade-Made, an organization targeted on wind blade repurposing, facilitated entry to the LM38.8 turbine blade used within the challenge.
“We wish to reveal what is feasible,” stated Michiel de Bruijcker, managing director of Poly Merchandise. “With our 55 years of expertise in processing composite supplies, it’s fascinating to research what position we will play in reuse, whereas preserving the unique form the place potential.”
Over the previous yr, the crew labored on creating a full-scale prototype. The finished bridge spans 12 meters, is 3 meters broad, and might often help masses as much as 5 tons. Previous to set up, the blade was examined in Heerenveen, the place weak factors have been recognized and strengthened. Further recycled supplies have been used all through the construction, together with thermoplastic and thermoset parts and a deck floor constructed from repurposed sheet piling.
To accommodate the curved geometry of the wind turbine blade and allow integration with the modular highway deck, Poly Merchandise employed large-format 3D printing. Utilizing its in-house manufacturing capability, the corporate developed custom-made 3D printed shanks that serve a number of roles. These elements help the deck, safe the handrail, and supply the required bridge width. The shanks have been designed to make sure mechanical continuity and modular adaptability.
In the course of the design part, Poly Merchandise engaged varied market stakeholders to evaluate demand. The bridge obtained constructive suggestions and was decided to be financially viable at market costs. A patent software for the structural resolution is at present pending, and discussions are underway for added installations primarily based on the identical design.
3D Printed Bridges Showcase Round Design and Materials Reuse in Europe
In Italy, researchers on the Polytechnic College of Bari lately developed a six-meter pedestrian bridge impressed by Leonardo da Vinci’s self-supporting arch design. The construction, referred to as “Da Vinci’s Bridge,” was 3D printed utilizing a specialised mortar constructed from waste stone powders and lime-based binder. Fabricated in partnership with 3D printing agency WASP and engineered by startup B&Y, the bridge consisted of 13 modular blocks printed utilizing the WASP 3MT LDM Concrete system. The challenge emphasised sustainable development by means of recycled materials use and stereotomy-based modular design, providing a precedent for practical reuse of business byproducts in civil constructions.
In 2021, town of Nijmegen unveiled what’s reportedly the world’s longest 3D printed concrete pedestrian bridge, spanning 29 meters. Developed by Rijkswaterstaat and designer Michiel van der Kley, the bridge was realized by means of a collaboration with TU Eindhoven, Witteveen+Bos, and manufacturing companions BAM and Weber Beamix. The parametric design enabled optimized structural geometry, whereas the 3D printing course of considerably decreased materials use and development time. The challenge demonstrated the scalability of 3D printed concrete constructions whereas highlighting their potential for quicker, lower-impact infrastructure improvement.
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Featured picture showcase 3D printed blade bridge in Almere. Photograph by way of Poly Merchandise.
