China's 1st 3D-printed retractile bridge unveiled in Shanghai

Source: Global Times

People pass by the 3D-printed retractile bridge in Shanghai on Monday. (Photo: Yu Xi/GT)

China's first 3D-printed retractile bridge has been unveiled in Shanghai, seen as a move for further attempts in 3D printing technology on retractile architecture.

The bridge is 9-meter-long, 1.5-meter-wide and 1.1-meter-high, weighing only 850 kilograms. It is divided into 9 retractile segments, the Global Times learned from the Wisdom Bay, a park cultivating innovative firms in Shanghai. Along the two sides of the bridge, there are a total of 36 triangle panels which were printed via 3D technology, with each containing a different design and images like ripples spreading outside.

The bridge was made by the China-made manufacturing integrated machine. It took three days to complete the 3D printing of the 36 panels. The bridge is made of a type of material called carbonate polyester from a German firm, which is a kind of composite material that is environmentally friendly, the Global Times learned from the designer.

The operator can open the bridge via Bluetooth within one minute, and it can hold up to 20 people at a time, with a gravity automatic warning system, according to the designer.

The Global Times reporter noticed that the retractile garden bridge can stretch out and draw back as a cylinder fluently. It was located on a small pool in JY Wisdom Bay, which is expected to officially open at the end of July. A staff member told the Global Times on Monday that the bridge will also officially open to the public at that time.