In the Dutch city of Almere, a team has installed a pedestrian bridge whose load-bearing structure consists of a decommissioned wind turbine blade. The Werkendam-based company Poly Products developed the project as part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure’s “Circular Viaduct” program. The special feature of the construction is the use of large-format 3D printed elements to connect the curved rotor blade to the modular bridge deck.
The 12-metre-long and 3-metre-wide structure is designed for point loads of up to five tons. The construction was created in collaboration with the Antea Group, the infrastructure company GKB and the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. The aim was to reuse composite materials from the wind power industry in the most resource-efficient way possible.
The main challenge was to adapt the aerodynamically shaped rotor blade to the requirements of a stable bridge structure. The team used custom-made 3D-printed connecting elements for the mechanical connection between the supporting structure and the walkway. These not only distribute the load, but also integrate the railing and enable modular expandability. They were printed from recycled thermoplastic and thermoset materials.
Before installation, the bucket was extensively tested and specifically reinforced. The sidewalk is also made of recycled material – including old sheet piling. The project is a proof of concept for sustainable infrastructure development through material reuse in combination with additive manufacturing.
Poly Products sees great potential in the recycling of rotor blades. The fiber composites used are considered durable, weather-resistant and lightweight – properties that also qualify them for load-bearing construction applications. A patent for the modular connection concept is in preparation and further bridges are already being planned, according to the manufacturer.
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