The U.S. Army has started using 3D-printed lego-like bridge parts in order to rapidly assemble infrastructure in combat zones.
The U.S. Army has developed 'Lego-like' concrete bricks in order to rapidly construct bridges during military campaigns.The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, a subdivision of the Army Corps of Engineers, has revealed that the military could start 3D printing large concrete modules within mission areas, and then assemble them into infrastructure piece by piece, just like a Lego set.
The technology, developed in conjunction with NASA, would see Automated Construction of Expeditionary Structures printers, supplied to forward operating bases for the military, allowing them to 'print' infrastructure for operations that would have normally required significant setup to do so.According to the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, the ACES printers will decrease construction time from five days to one day per structure, while also requiring significantly less manpower to manage.The printer involves a movable framework with a printhead attached to a rig that moves across a ground layer. In images released by the center, the printer can be seen constructing an army barracks shelter from locally sourced concrete.The printers are expected to be extremely versatile, with the army planning on using them to also build items like obstacles, protective structures, vaults, culverts, and beams.Larger infrastructure projects, such as bridges, can be made from several parts and then assembled on-site. In one example reported by Nevada Today, a small bridge was constructed by seven concrete parts strung together with posttensioned cables.In a statement, Professor Sherif Elfass, who led the development team, said that the new technology would save vast amounts of time. 'We're very pleased with this. The integration of numerical modeling with 3D printing and segmental construction provides a powerful tool for predicting structural performance before construction even begins,' he said.'This allows engineers to optimize the placement of segments and the design of printed components, ensuring that printed structures meet the necessary strength and durability requirements in a variety of conditions.'Newsweek contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via email for more information on how the new developments would be used in military situations.Prototypes of the technology were first reported on in 2019, when the corps 3D-printed the first reinforced-concrete bridge in the U.S, which could withstand 45,000 pounds before breaking. That bridge took six days to assemble, meaning the process has become much more efficient in the last five years.Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com.
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