This impetus for this project came in 2015 when Autodesk and MX3D began working together to create a proof-of-concept project in Amster- dam. According to Alex Tessier, Director of Simulation, Optimization, & Systems at Autodesk, the idea was to, “showcase all facets of con- ventional manufacturing technologies while pushing the envelope of art and design.” This started with the dream goal of printing a bridge in place and exploring the accompanying possibilities with it. The team explored processes such as exploring the use of robotics to create 3D structures by building up welds from mounted MIG welders. These early stages of the project were not only focused on questions about process, but also on how the materials would perform on a larger scale. Furthermore, because the bridge would be used by pedestrians, the team wanted to find a way for the bridge to “give back” to the community. To answer these questions and achieve this goal, Autodesk began creating a prototype and testbed for the bridge in 2017 at their Pier 9 Workshop in San Francisco. This early testing involved designing and building their own sensors and software to monitor the bridge. The goal was to explore use cases for structural health monitoring, digital twins, intelligent sensors, cloud and edge processing, automated analy- sis of data in real time, and the role that smart infrastructure could play in smart cities of the future. In completing these stages of research, Autodesk collaborated with the Joris Laarman Lab, The Alan Turing Institute, Arup, the University of Twente, and others. The final result of these efforts is a bridge that is embedded with a system of sensors that monitor its environment, performance, and use. This network of sensors provides data that is then processed in real time; according to Alex Tessier, this creates “data streams that can [be woven] together” to form a digital twin of the bridge. Sensors are currently measuring forces such as load distribution, tilt, strain, acceleration, and temperature. There are also environmental sensors that monitor the lo- cal microclimate around the bridge. Tessier believes that this data will “help us understand how things are used and how to make them better, safer, and more useful.” Additionally, in the coming months Autodesk is looking to install advanced computer vision that will allow the bridge to anonymously monitor pedestrian loads. This advanced computer vi- sion has already been developed at the Pier 9 Workshop, and Tessier is confident it will soon be installed in Amsterdam. With all systems in place, the MX3D Bridge in Amsterdam will, by fusing data from all the sensors, be able to learn how the bridge responds to many different conditions and factors over time. This project is perfectly timed at a moment when the world is responding to the growing problem of aging infrastructure. Tessier believes it is imperative that engineers’ creations “participate in the data economy and automate the findings and democratize them so that society can have access to this large library of learning.” This helps engineers and contractors to be more sustainable and use less material.
LUKE CAROTHERS is the Editor for Civil + Structural Engineer Media. If you want us to cover your project or want to feature your own article, he can be reached at lcarothers@zweiggroup.com.
Photos: ARUP
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