The world’s first fully biocomposite footbridge has been installed at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) in The Netherlands. An existing bridge has been moved to make space for the “biobridge” and the bridge builders have permission to leave it in place for a year.
The bridge was a collaboration among students from TU/e and the Eindhoven region’s vocational colleges. According to TU/e researcher and project leader Rijk Blok, there have been previous construction projects with biomaterials, but this is the first time bearing structures have been made entirely of biomaterials.
The biocomposite combines hemp and flax fibers with a biological PLA foam (polylactic acid) core. A bioresin was sucked into the fiber layers using a vacuum, which TU/e says produced a very strong girder when hardened.
