WORLD'S FIRST 3D-PRINTED BRIDGE OPENS TO CYCLISTS IN NETHERLANDS
-Posted by Ajit Sabnis

            Dutch officials have toasted the opening of what is being called the world’s first 3D-printed concrete bridge, which is primarily meant to be used by cyclists. There was applause as officials wearing hard hats rode over the bridge on their bikes at the inauguration in the southeastern town of Gemert on Tuesday.

            “The bridge is not very big, but it was rolled out by a printer, which makes it unique,” Theo Salet, from the Eindhoven University of Technology, told Dutch broadcaster NOS. Work on printing the bridge, which has some 800 layers, took about three months after starting in June and it is made of reinforced, pre-stressed concrete, according to the university. “One of the advantages of printing a bridge is that much less concrete is needed than in the conventional technique in which a mould is filled,” it said on its website. “A printer deposits the concrete only where it is needed.” The eight-metre (26-ft) bridge spans a water-filled ditch to connect two roads, and in conjunction with the BAM Infra construction company was tested for safety to bear loads of up to two tonnes.

            “We are looking to the future,” said the head of BAM, Marinus Schimmel, adding in a statement that his company was constantly “searching for a newer, smarter approach to addressing infrastructure issues and making a significant contribution to improving the mobility and sustainability of our society”.

            The Netherlands is among countries, with the United States and China, taking a lead in the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing, using computers and robotics to construct objects and structures from scratch. Last year a Dutch architect unveiled a unique 3D printer with which he hopes to construct an “endless loop” building. And a Dutch start-up called MX3D has begun printing a stainless steel bridge, of which a third is already completed. (Source: website of 'theguardian')

AIR POLLUTION-SMOG FREE TOWERS

-Dr. Ajit Sabnis

SMOG FREE TOWERS: These are the towers conceptualized and built by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde and team. It is not a Sci-fi. It is real and working!  They suck the smog, turn it into clean air, and filters out the smog particles so they can be turned into diamonds. The towers they built are used in Rotterdam, Beijing, Tianjin and Dalian, sucking up 30,000 cubic meters of polluted air per hour, cleans it at the Nano level and then releases the clean air back into the city.

 

                These smog free towers are incredibly effective: the air around the tower is 55 to 75 percent cleaner than the rest of the city. Accumulated filtered particles, rich in carbon are collected separately and compressed for 30 minutes and turned into dark, boxy diamonds. The diamonds are then used for rings and cufflinks, each representing 1,000 cubic meters of pollution. According to Daan, these are the ultimate waste-to-wonder conversion: toxic pollution transformed into gemstones.

            After Beijing, Roosegaarde is headed to India next. He plans to build Smog Free Towers across Delhi and other municipalities turn their dirty air into objects to treasure. He’s also partnering with NGOs, governments, students and tech companies to come up with other solutions to help reduce air pollution in our cities. 

            “It’s all about connecting new technology with creative thinking,” says Roosegaarde. “If you start thinking about that, there is so much you can imagine, so much more you can do.” (source: ideas.ted.com)