'World’s first' 3D-printed steel footbridge unveiled in Amsterdam

A steel footbridge in Amsterdam, considered to be the first to be 3D-printed, has been unveiled by a robot and the Dutch Queen. The structure was printed by MX3D, by combining welding equipment and robotics. Founder Tim Geurtjens said: “If you just take a beam and you put it over the water, you have a bridge, right? ... It wouldn’t really make sense printing it. But if you want to have a really highly decorated bridge ... suddenly it becomes a good option.” It also contains sensors, which Imperial College London will use to monitor the structure and pedestrian behaviour.