Connor Renwick: Zaha Hadid Architects Design a 3D-Printed Bridge Made of Concrete Blocks

Monday, August 9, 2021

Zaha Hadid Architects Design a 3D-Printed Bridge Made of Concrete Blocks

Designed and developed by Block Research Group (BRG) at ETH Zurich and Zaha Hadid Architects Computation and Design Group (ZHACODE), in collaboration with incremental3D (in3D) and Holcim, Striatus is a 3D-printed concrete bridge that doesn’t require any mortar or reinforcement, a first of its kind. The bridge is made possible by combining traditional building techniques with advanced computational design, engineering and robotic manufacturing technologies. Striatus is currently on view at the Giardini della Marinaressa during the Venice Architecture Biennale until November 2021.

Photo: naaro

By incorporating 3D printing into the fabrication process, the team involved with developing Striatus was able to build it with more precision using less materials than traditional concrete construction. The name Striatus reflects its creation; the concrete blocks lay orthogonal to the main structural forces to create a “striated” compression-only structure. No mortar or other reinforcements were required. Because of this, Striatus can be dissembled and reassembled to a different location and recycled when no longer needed.