Striatus: the first-of-its-kind 3D Concrete Printed bridge
Striatus is a first of its kind 3D concrete printed bridge that stands solely through compression without reinforcement, using concrete at its best with minimal material use for maximum strength.
The challenge
The composition of materials used in a building is a major factor in its lifecycle environmental impact. Reducing overall material use through optimizing building size and methods is one of the ways to ensure minimum material use and maximum strength. Limiting the generation of construction demolition materials by applying the “design for disassembly” approach and ensuring that the material can be reused over and over again can minimize or even completely eliminate waste at the object’s end-of-life.
The solution
With smart design and 3D Printing, we can reduce up to 50% of materials used with no compromise in performance. Holcim partnered with Block Research Group and Zaha Hadid Architects, in collaboration with incremental3D, to build Striatus, the first-of-its-kind 3D Concrete Printed bridge. Striatus is a complex structure made possible by a specific, custom-made ink, from Holcim’s TectorPrint range, developed by our 3D Concrete Printing research team.
The result
The product of the best minds in their fields, Striatus demonstrates the infinite possibilities of 3D Concrete Printing to enable the creation of breakthrough infrastructure projects that are more sustainable, faster to build and cost-effective, with no compromise on aesthetics and experience.
Its digital and circular design uses concrete at its best: the footbridge holds together solely through compression with no reinforcements, applying computational design and 3D printing, for minimal material use and maximum strength.
All of Striatus’ components are designed to be infinitely disassembled and reused. The concrete blocks can be easily recycled, with limited energy and cost. The recycling process is simple and cost-efficient as no materials sorting is needed, due to the absence of reinforcements, glue or binders.
It sets a blueprint to build for the future using advanced technologies from computational design to 3D Concrete Printing. The next generation of inks can include Holcim’s green building solutions, from its ECOPact green concrete to its ECOPlanet green cement, including recycled construction demolition materials. When it comes to building progress, the possibilities are endless.
Unveiled in Venice in July 2021, Striatus establishes a new language for concrete that is digital, environmentally advanced and circular by design.
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