The curvy Striatus 3D-printed concrete bridge in Venice is the first of its kind. Opened to the public on 20 July 2021 as part of the Venice Architecture Biennale, the footbridge holds together through compression and is built with a fraction of the materials used in a conventional concrete beam bridge.

With cement and concrete manufacture producing 8% of global carbon emissions in 2016, the construction sector is committed to reducing its carbon footprint.

The Striatus bridge was a collaboration between building solutions company Holcim, Zaha Hadid Architects, designers Block Research Group and incremental3D. It was created with custom-made ink from Holcim’s TectorPrint range and sets a blueprint for translating computational design into 3D-printed concrete.

Holcim is working on a range of 3D-printing applications, from infrastructure to affordable housing. This year, it created the world’s-first 3D-printed concrete school in Malawi. It took only 18 hours to build the walls and used 70% fewer materials than traditional building techniques.

Sydney-based Naji Akkawi CA is head of finance for Humes, a division of Holcim, and provides advice to the senior executive leadership team on how to facilitate strong financial outcomes. “I’m providing insights which enable greater entry into growth markets such as low-carbon solutions,” he says. “In Australia, ECOPact green concrete has been launched to meet this market need.”

“I’m providing insights which enable greater entry into growth markets such as low-carbon solutions...In Australia, ECOPact green concrete has been launched to meet this market need.”

Holcim is also working with GE Renewable Energy and COBOD to 3D-print taller wind turbine towers on-site, doubling their height to harness stronger winds and capture 33% more renewable electricity at lower cost.