Shanghai 3D prints a resin bridge

The conceptual design of the 3D-printed bridge. [Photo: The Paper]

SHANGHAI, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai has "printed" a 15-meter-long resin bridge, which will be installed in the central park in Taopu area.

Measuring 15.25 meters long, 3.8 meters wide and 1.2 meters high, the bridge was built in layers by a 3D printing system developed by Shanghai Construction Group. It took 35 days to complete.

With a milky white streamlined body, the bridge is made of acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, a plastic used for general prototyping in 3D printing, mixed with glass fibers.

The 3D printing robot at work on Friday, November 30, 2018 in Shanghai. [Photo: The Paper]

The material can withstand long-term exposure to the sun and rain and ensure the bridge meets national construction standards.

The bridge can be used for about three decades, said Chen Xiaoming, deputy chief engineer of the group.

The accuracy of the printing robot, seen here on Friday, November 30, 2018 in Shanghai, is down to the millimeter.[Photo: The Paper]

"The bridge has a load of 250 kg per square meter, which means at least four adults can walk on it at the same time per square meter," Chen said.

3D printing technology, regarded as an eco-friendly way to construct, requires less human labor and does not generate dust and construction waste.