Technology

MIT 3D-prints a 2.3-metre concrete bridge in about 30 minutes, with no molds

Researchers in MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering developed a design framework that folds a concrete printer's real-world limits into topology optimization, so the design that comes out can be printed directly with little or no manual redesign. They demonstrated it with a 2.3-metre concrete bridge printed in about 30 minutes (MIT News, 15 July 2026).

The 3D-printed concrete bridge holding concrete blocks during MIT's load test — Photo: courtesy of the researchers, MIT CEE (MIT News)

WHY IT MATTERS

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Three printer limits, bead thickness, how sharply the nozzle can turn and printing in one continuous line, were turned into equations, and every part of the bridge works in compression only. In testing, the bridge held more than 2,000 pounds with virtually no measurable bending. The analysis showed that printing a 1 cm bead instead of the 4 cm bead used could cut material use by as much as 76 percent while staying within safety margins, a roadmap for printer makers to cut concrete's carbon footprint. Team: Hajin Kim-Tackowiak, Zane Schemmer, Josephine Carstensen, Pittipat Wongsittikan and Jackson Jewett.

MIT 3D-prints a 2.3-metre concrete bridge in about 30 minutes, with no molds

Let me explain

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